Highland Cathedral would be a great choice for our national anthem

Uli Roever and Michael Korb, German musicologists in 1982, came up with the majestic melody of Highland Cathedral. Adaptable for bagpipes, either alone or accompanied by an orchestra, when played causes neck hairs to rise and the odd tear to appear ... it only lacks an acceptable set of lyrics.

READ MORE: Scots Wha Hae is the best choice for national anthem​

It would be an admirable quest to put to the Nation as a contribution to Scottish nationhood a campaign to find suitable words to fit the music and reflect the national feeling.This is not to devalue Scots Wha Hae, Auld Lang Syne or Flower of Scotland, which have each found their cultural place, but instead to create an acknowledged and appropriate anthem of which Scots can be proud, nor, for that matter words already proposed for Highland Cathedral.

The UK national anthem, God Save the Queen, has obscure Continental roots, possibly composed and played as an anthem melody in the 1602 relief of Geneva from the siege by the Duke of Savoy. Other origins have been proposed including an 18th-century drinking song and burlesque number before it was adopted in England when threatened by the 1745. It was then that it acquired the verse offensive to Scots.

Scottish songs and melodies have a penchant for extending into unusual corners; I recall hearing on Radio Singapore Three Craws Sat upon a Wa sung in Mandarin, as was Auld Lang Syne. Both sounded good!

So why destroy something that is already well established and we can be proud of? All we need is some good words that are contributed to and endorsed by the Scottish people - perhaps in a national competition judged by a triumvirate of people with literary and historical backgrounds.

We should do it before someone else bags Highland Cathedral for themselves!

Dr Lindsay Neil
Selkirk

A NATIONAL anthem is supposed to be about a country and its people’s love and loyalty to it.

Auld Lang Syne is a great song, but it is a song of parting and says nothing about Scotland, so is not suitable for a national anthem. My choice would be Land of our Fathers, sung to the tune of Highland Cathedral. This is a very moving and uplifting tune which was composed by German musicians Uli Roever and Michael Korb. I have been told that they had Arbroath Abbey in mind when they wrote it, which is neither a cathedral nor in the Highlands, but is a place of great importance in the history of our country, so is very fitting.

READ MORE: Here’s why Auld Lang Syne should be our new national anthem

The lyrics, written by Ben Kelly, are:

Land of our fathers, we will always be
Faithful and loyal to our country.
In times of danger, we will set you free.
Lead you to glory and to victory.

Hail, Caledonia, to our ancient prayer.
In this Highland Cathedral, let our standards bear.
Joining together with one dream to share.
God bless the people of this land so fair.

Gone is the past, let us start anew.
Let this hope of peace always remain.
Spirit of Scotia, be strong and true.
Then your children will smile again.

Rise Caledonia, let your voices ring
In this Highland Cathedral of God and King.
Whom, joy and liberty, to all, will bring.
Come, let your heart, with love and courage, sing.

Lonely the exile o’er distant seas,
The home of their birth, gone from their eyes.
Bring back their souls o’er the ocean breeze
To the land where their fathers lie.

Rise Caledonia...

Charmaine Lamont
Edinburgh

CAN I please enter the fray concerning an anthem for an Independent Scotland?

At the moment we use Flower of Scotland, which is a song about the past, and past glories, as encapsulated in the Battle of Bannockburn, which is what the song is about:

Oh, flower of Scotland, when will we see your likes again?
That fought and died for yir wee bit hill and glen,
And stood against them, Proud Edward’s army,
And sent them homewards to think again.

No, let’s not dwell on the past. As an independent country we should be looking bravely to the future and not reminiscing on, or even mourning past times. So I would suggest Flower of Scotland needs replacing. But would it be right to replace it with Auld Lang Syne? That also is about the past. In fact, Auld Lang Syne virtually means "Days of long ago”. Therefore, that is not the replacement we want. We could use Scotland the Brave, as has been used at Commonwealth Games when Scots athletes receive their medals. It’s certainly very stirring. But I think we need something a bit more emotional.

READ MORE: The perfect national anthem for indy Scotland comes all the way from Beirut

Why don’t we use the other tune that is often played at rugby internationals before Flower of Scotland is sung. I refer to Highland Cathedral. I know that a lot of folk don’t realise that there are words to Highland Cathedral. The tune was written, I believe, by two German musicians but the words were set to the music by Ben Kelly, who used to sing it in a Scottish Spectacular Evening Show in Inverness. I saw it many years ago, and the show may not still be in existence. But I remember seeing members of the audience in tears over his rendition of the song.

To my mind that would be the sort of thing that people all around the world would associate with Scotland – the land of legend and romance that so many picture Scotland as being.

Its lyrics express our loyalty and faithfulness to Scotland and let people know this is a country we are proud to be part of. No worries about the past. Let’s look to the future and let’s make it a glorious independent Scottish future. Highland Cathedral would be my choice.

Charlie Kerr
Glenrothes

DAVID Stevenson has persevered bravely for many years in promoting “Scots Wha Hae’” as our National Anthem, and he is right to do so. (Letters, August 14). I can’t agree with his footnote, though, that “if the Scottish people were to choose Auld Lang Syne that would be OK...”

Burns’s great “anthem” celebrates brotherhood, it is true, but we can hardly claim that noble sentiment as uniquely Scottish. Further, few Scots, I’ll wager, know more than the first two verses, and many persist in inserting “for the sake of” (auld lang syne). Finally, it is invariably sung when slightly, or seriously, drunk – “ a richt gude-willy waught”, fifth verse – which, I’ll grant you IS a Scottish trait – and can be a bit “dirge-y “. The world loves this song, and it generates enormous affection for Scotland. If it is "politicised" – and, being Scotland, there will be a stooshie and much girning – the world may not like that. Leave it alone: a wonderful gift to the concept of universal brotherhood.

Seriously dirge-like, though, is Flower of Scotland, a schmaltzy folk-song (“wee bit hill and glen”?!) foisted upon us by the likes of the SRU (even captain Finlay Calder condemned it as “embarrassing” years ago), seriously lacking in the gravitas and tempo required by an inspirational national anthem.

Which brings us back to Scots Wha’ Hae. It’s credentials are impeccable – tune thought to have been played at Bannockburn, words by our national bard, etc, but invariably played far too slow. (The worst rendition of SWH I ever heard, by the way, was at the close of an SNP conference some years ago, when “dirge” would have been much too racy a description...) “Con brio”, with a jaunty tempo, it is inspiring. I possess, on tape, a superb recording – imagine a long drum roll then the crash of brass introducing a thrilling rendition of that great tune – made by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra many years ago (and never heard again as far as I can tell) – which I am hoping to make more accessible. Who has not felt a thrill when great anthems – such as the Marseillaise – are played and wished WE had something as fine...?

As for the words and sentiments being too “anti-English”, this is powder-puffery; many of the greatest anthems hark back to the struggle for national freedom, often against a dictator, overweening neighbour or imperial power, often in very gory language, and no unpleasantness follows their lusty rendition. (In any case, the words of Land of Hope and Glory and the "national" anthem take some beating for bombastic nationalism, including ”rebellious Scots to crush”). If still unhappy, just stand without singing...

To those who fear offence might be offered to the British royal family if "The Queen" is dropped, this is no problem – Norway has a superb national anthem and a royal anthem (as do several other countries), and one or the other, or both, are played as appropriate.

Another possibility is that a new anthem is written. We have very fine composers in Scotland – Craig Armstrong, Dougie Maclean (even James Macmillan has softened his anti-indy views, I believe), and William Jackson’s Land of Light was a decent effort in 1999.

Crucially, though, the (very) short list of proposed anthems must be left to the Scottish Parliament, suitably advised by a panel of experts (writers, composers, historians etc). Then, if appropriate, “the people” can be invited to comment, but God forbid the popular "red top" press organise a competition; this would run the serious risk of “Stop your tickling Jock” or somesuch being chosen.

I look forward, on day one of independence, to a lusty rendition of a glorious national anthem in our national parliament.

David Roche
Perth

DAVID Stevenson’s letter argued for Scots Wha Hae as the best choice for a national anthem (August 14). Alternatively, Scotland Will Flourish by the Corries is a much more cheerful and less militaristic song as a symbol of Scotland’s aspirations.

It has more appropriate sentiments about the good nature of the Scots and the positive goal of a welcoming and more fair society:

Scotland will flourish by the sweat of our labour, the strength of out will and the force of our mind...

Let Scots be a nation, proud of their heritage with an eye to the future and a heart to forgive.

And Scotland will flourish secure in the knowledge that we reap out own harvest and ring our own till.

And let us be known for our kind hospitality.

Yes, Scotland will flourish and win out in the end!

Forget the old battles, those days are over; hatred corrupts – and surely, friendship unites?

I was born in Scotland, and this is the Scotland that I long to return to.

Joseph Meijer (age 13)
Cambridge

A FEW years ago, I wrote to another newspaper concerning a national anthem for Scotland. The points I made were largely related to technicalities in that any anthem has to be suitable for reproduction by a pipe band, a brass band, a fiddle orchestra or a classical orchestra. Also, most importantly, the human voice.

A tune which is classically Scots is James Scott Skinner’s The Flowers of the Quern. This tune fits all mentioned categories. It has one great advantage – there are no words. The challenge then exists to add diction to this beautiful melody which is quintessentially Scots.

With all the stresses on the youth of the country and the future being theirs, it strikes me a challenge to all schools to produce suitable words based on our history could help improve our appreciation of young folks and help excite them to come up with something related to our history, knowledge and humanity.

Name and Address supplied

I WOULD like to offer the following comments on the song Scots Wha Hae. They are taken from an introduction I wrote for the chapbook, Robert Burns the Democrat.

That Robert Burns, who allegedly sent four carronades to the French National Assembly, fully supported the Revolution has never been in serious doubt. As Robert Chambers, one of the best editors the poet ever had, explained: "Scots Wha Hae was, to some extent, inspired by the French in beating back the enemies of their republic ... The association of ideas came naturally enough to a Scottish patriot of Jacobite leanings. The English ministers who had declared war on the French Republicans, and so ruined the still struggling Scottish commerce, became in his imagination the ancient enemies of the old-time allies France and Scotland. Under cover of a 14th-century battle-song he was really liberating his soul against the Tory tyranny that was opposing liberty at home and abroad and, moreover, striking at his own fireside."

The song was first published in The Morning Chronicle on May 8th, 1794, with strict instructions from Burns that his name must not be associated with it in any fashion. He was well aware that the dramatic concluding line, “Let US DO – or DIE!!!", with its block capital emphases and triple exclamation marks finale, would be interpreted as pointing to recent events in France as much as ancient ones in 14th-century Scotland, with political reprisals against him being a distinct possibility.

Norrie Paton
Campbeltown

I LOVE Flower of Scotland. I’ve sung it so many times, with great emotion, on the terraces of Hampden Park. However, Scotland will regain its independence soon. It’s going to happen. We will need a new and official national anthem.

The lyrics of Flower of Scotland, of bygone battles, will appear irrelevant, in the eyes of the world, to our reborn state. Our anthem should be about our history, yes, but also about friendship. About reaching out. Embracing the old, but also embracing the new.

Think of a song, a piece of music, loved and performed, all over the world. We have, possibly the most famous song in the world!

It has been hiding, in plain sight, all this time. The music is old. The lyrics were written by our own timeless bard. Not by Beethoven. Not by The Beatles. By Robert Burns.

We have our national anthem, AULD LANG SYNE.

Anthony Brannan
via email

AULD Lang Syne. Yes please, But sung at a reasonable tempo to replace the current dirge Flower of Scotland. Make sure we Scots pronounce it properly though. There is not a “Z” in syne.

Eric Morris
via email