Nicest National Anthems?


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
:previous: I do not like it either. I'd prefer "Va pensiero" to become Italy's national anthem. However I think it will never be, now that it has become the anthem of Padania.;)

For those of you who have no clue about Padania
 
But imo also "Va pensiero" is completely out of place, it has nothing to do with Italy...anyway it is a wonderful piece.
 
wow, i didn't know these details about the italian anthem! but i wanted to say that it sounds beautiful for us who don't speak the language. and of course you have one of the most beautiful countries.

with respect,
gregory
 
I love the Japanese national anthem. I especially love the words...they are beautiful.
 
Apart from the Australian national anthem, I like the Canadian and French national anthems
 
What do you guy think about the anthem of Europe? "Ode an die Freude" by Ludwig van Beethoven? Isn't it gorgeous?

It is one of the most beautiful pieces of music that exists IMO.

Peter Roland made a new text for the melody, in latin:

Est Europa nunc unita
et unita maneat;
una in diversitate
pacem mundi augeat.
Semper regnant in Europa
fides et iustitia
et libertas populorum
in maiore patria.
Cives, floreat Europa,
opus magnum vocat vos.
Stellae signa sunt in caelo
aureae, quae iungant nos.

Translation:
Europe is united now
United may it remain;
Our unity in diversity
May it contribute to world peace.
May there forever reign in Europe
Faith and justice
And freedom of the people
In a greater fatherland
Citizens, may Europe flourish,
A great task calls on you.
Golden stars in the sky are
The symbols that shall unite us.
YouTube - Anthem of Europe
 
And when I grew up in the 80s, we used to call the Sovjet national anthem (now Russias) "the hockey song", because CCCP always won the world championship in Hockey...

I can't help but laugh at this, because my cousins who were into Figure Skating as much as I am, we called the Soviet/Russian Anthem the Ice Dancing Anthem. W/the exception of the Torvill and Dean years, that was due to the stranglehold the Soviet/Russian Teams had during the 80's and early 90's. :D

I love Advance Australia Fair and still remember the odd bits of it thanks to hearing it so often during the Sydney Games. I'm sure I'll be hearing it often in a few weeks times during the coverage of The Commonwealth Games in India too. ;)

Obviously, I adore my own Anthem, Oh Canada. My favourite performance of it at the moment, is by the guy who does the Anthems for the NHL Vancouver Canucks hockey team games. He sings the first bit, then lets the audience take over for the middle part and finishes the rest of it. Never fails to give me the chills. :D

I like The Star Spangled Banner, but one of the best "performances" of it I've ever heard, was also one of the worst too. The US Jr Hockey Team won the World Jr Hockey Championship this year, in Canada, for only the second time in USA Hockey history IIRC. Now...I get the guys were excited, I get they were in a party mood and they wanted to belt out their Anthem loudly and proudly. Regardless of the Nationality, and as much as I wanted to sing Oh Canada w/"my boys", watching the kids sing their Anthem is one of the highlights of any Championship.

Okay then...I get them being a touch off key. I've heard some pretty awful off key versions of Oh Canada over the years after all. Having said that though...Here it is September and I still haven't been able to figure out how in the name of everything holy they managed to also get two bars ahead of the music!!

It really is one of the most priceless Victory Ceremony Celebration Sing alongs I've ever watched. :D

I also like the New Zealand, Italian, German and Russia Anthems.

I wish I knew the words for the Japanese, German and Russian Anthems though. I am a huge Figure Skating fan, if I'm at a Major Championship Event and if I know the words of the winning Skater or Team's National Anthem, I'll sing it. I think it's the least we can do for an athlete or team that wins.

It's so sad though...I was so lucky to be able to attend the World Championships in Vancouver in 2001 and we all sang The Star Spangled Banner for Michelle Kwan. We all know it, so why not and it also gave Michelle a very special memory of that Title.

Fast forward to the last two Skate Canada Internationals and American skaters each won a respective title/discipline each year. Not only was there next to no one singing along, I got funny and nasty looks for doing so. I was chatting w/someone while in line for something at last year's Skate Canada and mentioned what a shame it was so few people sang TSSB for Jeremy Abbott. Do you know what this person said in reply?

"Why would we? We're not in America and this is Skate *Canada*, not Skate America."

:sad:

As I told her, there's no harm in showing courtesy and/or respect to another Athlete. Especially since everyone in that arena knew the words to TSSB and could have sang it for Jeremy.

Sorry for rambling and getting OT, but that's a particular pet peeve of mine. One of my favourite memories from the coverage of the Vancouver Olympics this year, was how the fans from the Netherlands knew the National Anthems of all the Favourites at the Speed Skating Oval and sang them for all the Gold Medalists during the Victory Ceremonies.

I was not only impressed, but that's just out and out classy and how it should be!! :flowers:
 
Defintely the Star Spangled Banner!
 
The Dutch National Anthem ofcourse,the "Wilhelmus".It is the oldest text ( 1566) to an Anthem in the world,
combined with the music it is quite regal.Most others are just organised noise compared to our Anthem.
 
I'm not exactly sure about "nicest" ;) but to me the most stirring, patriotic, and noble-sounding ones are:
United States
United Kingdom
Spain
Luxembourg
Russia

Although I have to admit the Italians always do seem to sing their anthem with great passion and vigor, which is very nice to see.:flowers:
 
Must admit I only knew a few national anthems USA, France, British, Canada. The American national anthem is very difficult to sing (some really high notes and if you miss them everyone knows). I've heard and seen a few people mess up the high notes (which ruins the song). People who did this are almost run out of the stadium or the venue were they are. It usually makes national news. Recently someone who sang the national athem at a stadium in Kansas City, Missouri forgot the words to the song and were booed and hissed at for messing it up. The more they sang, the worse it got.

I can't sing and the last time I sang it I was at the Daytona Speedway with a mixture of fans and co-workers around me singing it. I can't get the high notes and made a mistake of trying to do so (people turned around and looked at me like I was nuts). I sounded like I was losing my voice.
 
My favourites are the South African national anthem and New Zealand - partly I suppose because the different languages are used to sing them and I hear them regularly at rugby matches.

The Australian national song is just a dirge - I hate it.
 
My favorites are:
United States:flowers:
Spain
United Kingdom
Australia
Germany

They're all very stirring and patriotic-sounding.
 
Ahhhh... my favorite is definitely "Oh Canada" :)
 
UK and US When did the UKs become offical
 
Royal Fan said:
UK and US When did the UKs become offical

It was first heard as "God Save The King" in 1745.
 
I guess I'm a bit biased, but God Save the Queen is my favourite national anthem. Other national anthems that I like are:

-Hymn to Liberty (Greece)
-Marcha Real (Spain)
-Hymne Monegaque (Monaco)
-La Brabaconne (Belgium)
-Kong Christian stod ven hojen mast (Denmark's royal anthem)
-Il Canto degli Italiani (Italy, I even taught myself how to sing the first verse of the Italian National Anthem)
-The Star Spangled Banner (North America)

Runners up are Deutschlandlid (Germany), La Marseilles (France, not so keen on the lyrics though) and Het Wilhelmus (The Netherlands).

Apologies for going a bit off topic, but my favourite patriotic songs are Rule, Brittania!, Land of Hope and Glory, I Vow to Thee my Country, Scotland the Brave (not sure if this is the official national anthem of Scotland or just a patriotic song) and O Canada.
 
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Wow there are many in here I have to listen to. I can't say which I like the best but the one I don't really like is the British anthem, I think a national anthem should be to the nation not directed at one person.
 
I don't know what nice anthem exactly means but I put there some of my favorite anthems.


Current anthems:
France
United Kingdom
Germany
Netherlands

Poland
Russia
Sweden
Romania
Bulgaria
Chile
Argentina

Canada
Israel
Jordan
Egypt



Past anthems:
Soviet Union
East Germany
Heil im dir Siegerkrazn (German Empire)
Austria-Hungary
Russian Empire
Hail Columbia (unofficial USA anthem before current one)
 
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USA
UK
Monaco/Hymn For the Sovereign Prince
South Africa
Canada

Those are my faves off the top ..my hair rises on my neck when I hear The Spangled Banner no matter how many times I listen. But i need to familiarize myself with some others.

I love the tune of La Marseillaise...but I don't care for the lyrics at all.
 
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Can't believe nobody's posted Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of My Fathers). Very emotional. Best heard at rugby matches. And no I'm not Welsh.:D



That said:

the loveliest has to be the Dutch
the most stirring the Russian
but the greatest has to be La Marseillaise - surely The national anthem par excellence.
 
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