The best and worst national anthems? Time to award the medals | reviews, news & interviews
The best and worst national anthems? Time to award the medals
The best and worst national anthems? Time to award the medals
The tunes that inspire gold, and those that limp home. Do you agree?
The onerous task of recording all 205 national anthems for playing at the Olympics medal ceremonies has fallen on the London Philharmonic Orchestra. An edited group of 36 players has recorded the anthems at the Abbey Road Studios in 60 gruelling recording hours over six days. But which would try their patience most?
The anthems - every one known in the world, good, bad and indifferent - have been arranged by British composer and cellist Phillip Sheppard, who did the British anthem arrangement for the Beijing Olympics closing ceremony. Judging from a selection below, he would be giving the LPO trumpets plenty to do.
Sebastian Coe, chair of the London 2012, and a former multiple gold-medallist as a runner, described the emotional impact of hearing his national anthem as he stood on the winner’s podium. “The playing of anthems is one of the most emotive parts of any Games, and it was an incredible moment for me at the Moscow and Los Angeles games.”
With the Paralympics following immediately after the Olympic Games, the winning anthems that will be heard most often include some of the dullest tunes - the British national anthem is widely rated one of the most musically disappointing, and it's hoped that more than 30 gold medals will go to Team GB.
10 Gold-Medal National Anthems
Russia - inspiring
Italy - jaunty
Japan - moving
Bangladesh - lilting
Jamaica - stately
Israel - tragic
France - rousing
Hungary - soulful
Cameroon - bouncy
Bulgaria - tear-jerking
5 Wooden Spoon Anthems
Algeria
Belarus
Norway
Iraq
United Kingdom
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Comments
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As long as the British Royal
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I have to agree that the
The British National Anthem
KENYA has the best national
i agree
You have used the now defunct
No South Africa??
Algerian Athem is actually
How come no one mentioned
I actually think that the
This is simply a subjective
You should know by now that
I'm Welsh and it wouldn't
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
they managed to botch the
Indian anthem need a wooden
Please do not give voice to
When we sing our national
Tagore's own statement
Cameroon! WOW! What else can
Where's the Star-Spangled
WHAT THE HELL!!! India's
replace god save the queen
Hey is not the really anthem
The Norwegian national anthem
First off, im from New
Mate I am from Mew Zealand
The Anthem cannot always be
I love Bangladeshi National
With due respects the
I liked the Israeli
How is South Korea's anthem
The Croatia anthem is my
Where is the Mexicvan Anthem?
Wheres the Irish national
Karl, are you kidding me?
The IRA was NEVER a terrorist
I don't know how the United
Pakistans is actually quite
My favorites are the
I agree that the British
PAKISTANI national anthem is
If you want to hear a
Iran's anthem carries the
Have somebody ever heard the
Missing Australia for the
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