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| England Weighs Its Own Anthem to Rival ‘God Save the Queen’ | England Weighs Its Own Anthem to Rival ‘God Save the Queen’ |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| LONDON — For two centuries the national anthem here has been a somber plea for the monarch’s longevity, and “God Save the Queen” is routinely sung as England’s sports teams line up for international matches. | |
| But now the anthem, and not just the sovereign, may be in need of saving. | But now the anthem, and not just the sovereign, may be in need of saving. |
| On Wednesday, lawmakers agreed to debate in March a bill that, while not scrapping “God Save the Queen,” would create another anthem to be played before England’s teams take on foreign rivals. | On Wednesday, lawmakers agreed to debate in March a bill that, while not scrapping “God Save the Queen,” would create another anthem to be played before England’s teams take on foreign rivals. |
| Supporters of the move argue that “God Save the Queen” is the national anthem for the United Kingdom and for Britain, of which England is just one part. While Scotland and Wales, which field their own soccer and rugby teams, have their own anthems, England does not. | Supporters of the move argue that “God Save the Queen” is the national anthem for the United Kingdom and for Britain, of which England is just one part. While Scotland and Wales, which field their own soccer and rugby teams, have their own anthems, England does not. |
| The proposal for an English anthem is unlikely to become law because it does not have government support. But the discussion appears to have touched a nerve, highlighting the growing nationalist sentiments at play in Britain, where support for Scottish independence, a push for Britain to exit the European Union, and populist appeals in England are important features of the political landscape. | The proposal for an English anthem is unlikely to become law because it does not have government support. But the discussion appears to have touched a nerve, highlighting the growing nationalist sentiments at play in Britain, where support for Scottish independence, a push for Britain to exit the European Union, and populist appeals in England are important features of the political landscape. |
| Speaking in Parliament, Toby Perkins, a Labour lawmaker who proposed the bill, said he was “neither a Republican, nor an atheist nor an English nationalist,” but objected to the playing of “God Save the Queen” before matches because it suggested that England and Britain were “synonymous.” | Speaking in Parliament, Toby Perkins, a Labour lawmaker who proposed the bill, said he was “neither a Republican, nor an atheist nor an English nationalist,” but objected to the playing of “God Save the Queen” before matches because it suggested that England and Britain were “synonymous.” |
| He noted that the Welsh have “Land of My Fathers” (first sung in 1905 in response to the New Zealand rugby team’s traditional haka, a Maori war chant) and the Scots sing “Flower of Scotland.” He conceded that things were more complicated in Northern Ireland, where “God Save the Queen” is played before the team’s international soccer games. | |
| Mr. Perkins alluded to a growing sense of fragmentation among Britons, pointing out that in 1966 — the only time England won soccer’s World Cup — the crowd mainly waved the British flag, the Union Flag, known as the Union Jack. But nowadays the English flag of St. George is more in evidence at England’s international matches, he said, adding that “the issue of national identity is a powerful one,” and should not be allowed to “fester.” | Mr. Perkins alluded to a growing sense of fragmentation among Britons, pointing out that in 1966 — the only time England won soccer’s World Cup — the crowd mainly waved the British flag, the Union Flag, known as the Union Jack. But nowadays the English flag of St. George is more in evidence at England’s international matches, he said, adding that “the issue of national identity is a powerful one,” and should not be allowed to “fester.” |
| In a 2014 referendum, Scots voted against breaking away from the United Kingdom, but the pro-independence Scottish National Party has since surged in support. Britain’s prime minister, David Cameron, of the Conservative Party, has offered more power to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, but also wants to compensate for this by giving English lawmakers more control over measures that affect only England. | |
| Mr. Cameron entered the anthem debate in 2012 when, according to the website Conservative Home, he expressed interest in “Jerusalem” as an English anthem. This stirring musical setting of William Blake’s poem includes an invocation to build Jerusalem in “England’s green and pleasant land,” though it also mentions the country’s “dark satanic mills.” | Mr. Cameron entered the anthem debate in 2012 when, according to the website Conservative Home, he expressed interest in “Jerusalem” as an English anthem. This stirring musical setting of William Blake’s poem includes an invocation to build Jerusalem in “England’s green and pleasant land,” though it also mentions the country’s “dark satanic mills.” |
| “Jerusalem” was chosen as the anthem for English athletes at the Commonwealth Games in 2010, after a public poll. | “Jerusalem” was chosen as the anthem for English athletes at the Commonwealth Games in 2010, after a public poll. |
| Other suggestions have included “Land of Hope and Glory” by A.C. Benson and Edward Elgar, to the more contemporary “Heroes” by David Bowie, the singer who died this week. | Other suggestions have included “Land of Hope and Glory” by A.C. Benson and Edward Elgar, to the more contemporary “Heroes” by David Bowie, the singer who died this week. |
| On Wednesday, Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Conservative lawmaker who opposes the bill, came to the defense of “God Save the Queen,” which came to be known as the national anthem at the beginning of the 19th century. | On Wednesday, Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Conservative lawmaker who opposes the bill, came to the defense of “God Save the Queen,” which came to be known as the national anthem at the beginning of the 19th century. |
| According to Buckingham Palace it was first performed much earlier, in 1745, when news reached London of a military victory. The leader of the band at the Theater Royal, Drury Lane, arranged “God Save the King” for performance after a play (the lyrics change to reflect the gender of the monarch). | According to Buckingham Palace it was first performed much earlier, in 1745, when news reached London of a military victory. The leader of the band at the Theater Royal, Drury Lane, arranged “God Save the King” for performance after a play (the lyrics change to reflect the gender of the monarch). |
| “What greater pleasure can there be for a trueborn Englishman or trueborn Englishwoman than to listen to our own national anthem?” Mr. Rees-Mogg said. | “What greater pleasure can there be for a trueborn Englishman or trueborn Englishwoman than to listen to our own national anthem?” Mr. Rees-Mogg said. |
| Mr. Rees-Mogg also argued that any change in the current arrangements would “reduce that sense of devotion to our sovereign that we ought to have.” | Mr. Rees-Mogg also argued that any change in the current arrangements would “reduce that sense of devotion to our sovereign that we ought to have.” |
| But Mr. Perkins, the Labour lawmaker, said that there was huge interest in the creation of an anthem for England, describing it as an idea “whose time has come.” | But Mr. Perkins, the Labour lawmaker, said that there was huge interest in the creation of an anthem for England, describing it as an idea “whose time has come.” |
| Although he did not nominate any particular tune to replace “God Save the Queen,” Mr. Perkins told lawmakers that, on radio stations to which he had spoken, a number of suggestions had been floated. | Although he did not nominate any particular tune to replace “God Save the Queen,” Mr. Perkins told lawmakers that, on radio stations to which he had spoken, a number of suggestions had been floated. |
| These included, he said, one from the English band the Smiths: “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.” |