O Land of Beauty!: Difference between revisions

O Land of Beauty!
	National anthem of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Also known as	National Anthem of the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
Lyrics	Kenrick Georges
Music	Kenrick Georges
Adopted	1983
Audio sample
	U.S. Navy Band instrumental version file; help;

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"O Land of Beauty!" is the national anthem of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Written and composed by Kenrick Georges, it was officially adopted as the national anthem of the newly independent nation in 1983, when the federation received its independence from the United Kingdom.^[1]

History

In February 1983, the government of Saint Kitts and Nevis announced a competition to find a national anthem and requested submissions. The announcement appeared in The Democrat Newspaper, and the deadline was 31 March 1983 at 4:00 pm.^[2]

Kenrick Georges (1955–2019^[3]), a trumpeter and arranger for a popular brass band,^[4] decided to compose a submission on the last day at 2:00 am. He completed the composition in four hours. An hour later, he took it to Greenlands piano teacher Mrs. Gumbs to record a piano performance of it. After a cassette recording was made, Georges submitted it the same day.^[2]

On 3 June 1983, Chairperson of the National Anthem Sub-Committee Pamela Wall announced the winner of the competition. Out of 45 entries, Georges' entry had won, with the committee feeling that it would "stand the test of time." The three other members of the Sub-Committee were Stanley Amory, Lorna Edwards and Lilith Kelsick.^[2]

On Saint Kitts and Nevis's first independence day, 19 September 1983, Prime Minister Kennedy Simmonds awarded Georges for his contribution as composer and writer of the national anthem. Georges stated in a 2008 interview that he considered writing the anthem the high point of his musical career. He stated that the idea behind the lyrics was to call for citizens to see the country "for the best of what it was and maintain that as we go along." He described the overall concept as, "Let’s keep St. Kitts and Nevis as it is with respect to the best of what we have between us."^[2]

Lyrics

I
O Land of Beauty!
Our country where peace abounds,
Thy children stand free
On the strength of will and love.
With God in all our struggles,
Saint Kitts and Nevis be,
A nation bound together,
With a common destiny.

II
As stalwarts we stand,
For justice and liberty.
With wisdom and truth,
We will serve and honour thee.
No sword nor spear can conquer,
For God will sure defend.
His blessings shall forever,
To posterity extend.^[5]^[6]

References

^ "St. Kitts and Nevis". nationalanthems.info. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "PM Pays Tribute to Kenrick Georges at Memorial Service in Brooklyn". The St Kitts Nevis Observer. 2019-09-30. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
^ Inc, The Caribbean Camera (2019-08-28). "Kenrick Georges, composer of St Kitts-Nevis anthem, dead at 64". The Caribbean Camera. Retrieved 2022-02-28. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
^ "Kenrick Georges Composer and Arranger of St. Kitts and Nevis National Anthem Passes". SKN PULSE. 2019-08-26. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
^ "National Symbols". Government of St. Kitts & Nevis. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
^ St. Christopher and Nevis: Independence Magazine, 19th September, 1983. 1983. p. 26.

External links

Information, links and streaming audio for the St. Kitts and Nevis national anthem (archive link)

This Saint Kitts and Nevis-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This national, regional or organisational anthem-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "St. Kitts and Nevis". nationalanthems.info. Retrieved 24 April 2016.

[Observer-2] "PM Pays Tribute to Kenrick Georges at Memorial Service in Brooklyn". The St Kitts Nevis Observer. 2019-09-30. Retrieved 2022-02-28.

[3] Inc, The Caribbean Camera (2019-08-28). "Kenrick Georges, composer of St Kitts-Nevis anthem, dead at 64". The Caribbean Camera. Retrieved 2022-02-28. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)

[SKN_PULSE-4] "Kenrick Georges Composer and Arranger of St. Kitts and Nevis National Anthem Passes". SKN PULSE. 2019-08-26. Retrieved 2022-02-28.

[5] "National Symbols". Government of St. Kitts & Nevis. Retrieved 2022-02-28.

[6] St. Christopher and Nevis: Independence Magazine, 19th September, 1983. 1983. p. 26.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|National anthem of Saint Kitts and Nevis}}
 {{Infobox anthem
-|title         = O Land of Beauty!
+| title         = O Land of Beauty!
-|alt_title     = National Anthem of the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
+| alt_title     = National Anthem of the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
-|image         = Coat_of_arms_of_Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis_(variant).svg
+| image         =
-|image_size    =
+| image_size    =
-|border        =
+| caption       =
-|caption       =
+| prefix        = National
+| country       = {{nowrap|[[Saint Kitts and Nevis]]}}
-|prefix        = National
-|country       = {{KNA}}
+| author        = Kenrick Georges
+| lyrics_date   =
-|author        = Kenrick Georges
+| composer      = Kenrick Georges
-|lyrics_date   =
+| music_date    =
-|composer      = Kenrick Georges
-|music_date    =
+| adopted       = 1983
-|adopted       = 1983
+| until         =
+| sound         = United_States_Navy_Band_-_O_Land_of_Beauty.ogg
-|until         =
+| sound_title   = [[U.S. Navy Band]] instrumental version
-|sound         = United_States_Navy_Band_-_O_Land_of_Beauty.ogg
-|sound_title   = O Land of Beauty (Instrumental)
-<ref group="note">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalanthems.info/kn.htm|title=St. Kitts and Nevis|work=nationalanthems.info|accessdate=24 April 2016}}</ref>
 }}
-"'''O Land of Beauty!'''" is the [[national anthem]] of the [[Saint Kitts and Nevis|Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis]]. Written and composed by Kenrick Georges, it was officially adopted as the national anthem of the newly independent nation in 1983, when the federation received its independence from [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]].
+"'''O Land of Beauty!'''" is the [[national anthem]] of the [[Saint Kitts and Nevis|Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis]]. Written and composed by Kenrick Georges, it was officially adopted as the national anthem of the newly independent nation in 1983, when the federation received its independence from the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalanthems.info/kn.htm|title=St. Kitts and Nevis|work=nationalanthems.info|access-date=24 April 2016}}</ref>
+==History==
+In February 1983, the government of Saint Kitts and Nevis announced a competition to find a national anthem and requested submissions. The announcement appeared in ''The Democrat Newspaper'', and the deadline was 31 March 1983 at 4:00 pm.<ref name="Observer">{{Cite web |date=2019-09-30 |title=PM Pays Tribute to Kenrick Georges at Memorial Service in Brooklyn |url=https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/pm-pays-tribute-to-kenrick-georges-at-memorial-service-in-brooklyn/ |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=The St Kitts Nevis Observer |language=en-US}}</ref>
+Kenrick Georges (1955–2019<ref>{{Cite web |last=Inc |first=The Caribbean Camera |date=2019-08-28 |title=Kenrick Georges, composer of St Kitts-Nevis anthem, dead at 64 |url=https://thecaribbeancamera.com/kenrick-georges-composer-of-st-kitts-nevis-anthem-dead-at-64/ |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=The Caribbean Camera |language=en}}</ref>), a trumpeter and arranger for a popular brass band,<ref name="SKN PULSE">{{Cite web |date=2019-08-26 |title=Kenrick Georges Composer and Arranger of St. Kitts and Nevis National Anthem Passes |url=https://sknpulse.com/kenrick-georges-writer-of-national-anthem-passes/ |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=SKN PULSE |language=en-GB}}</ref> decided to compose a submission on the last day at 2:00 am. He completed the composition in four hours. An hour later, he took it to [[Basseterre Valley|Greenlands]] piano teacher Mrs. Gumbs to record a piano performance of it. After a cassette recording was made, Georges submitted it the same day.<ref name="Observer" />
+On 3 June 1983, Chairperson of the National Anthem Sub-Committee Pamela Wall announced the winner of the competition. Out of 45 entries, Georges' entry had won, with the committee feeling that it would "stand the test of time." The three other members of the Sub-Committee were Stanley Amory, Lorna Edwards and Lilith Kelsick.<ref name="Observer" />
+On Saint Kitts and Nevis's first independence day, 19 September 1983, [[List of prime ministers of Saint Kitts and Nevis|Prime Minister]] [[Kennedy Simmonds]] awarded Georges for his contribution as composer and writer of the national anthem. Georges stated in a 2008 interview that he considered writing the anthem the high point of his musical career. He stated that the idea behind the lyrics was to call for citizens to see the country "for the best of what it was and maintain that as we go along." He described the overall concept as, "Let’s keep St. Kitts and Nevis as it is with respect to the best of what we have between us."<ref name="Observer" />
 ==Lyrics==
+{| style="margin-left: 1em"
-:O Land of Beauty!
+|- style="vertical-align:top; white-space:nowrap;"
-:Our country where peace abounds,
+|<poem>'''I'''
-:Thy children stand free
+O Land of Beauty!
-:On the strength of will and love.
+Our country where peace abounds,
-:With God in all our struggles,
+Thy children stand free
-:Saint Kitts and Nevis be,
+On the strength of will and love.
-: A nation bound together,
+With God in all our struggles,
-:With a common destiny.
+Saint Kitts and Nevis be,
+A nation bound together,
+With a common destiny.
+'''II'''
-:As stalwarts we stand,
+As stalwarts we stand,
-:For justice and liberty.
-:With wisdom and truth,
+For justice and liberty.
+With wisdom and truth,
-:We will serve and honor thee.
+We will serve and honour thee.
-:No sword nor spear can conquer,
+No sword nor spear can conquer,
-:For God  will sure defend.
+For God  will sure defend.
-:His blessings shall forever,
+His blessings shall forever,
-:To posterity extend.
+To posterity extend.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Symbols |url=https://www.gov.kn/ |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=Government of St. Kitts & Nevis}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LgFsAAAAMAAJ |title=St. Christopher and Nevis: Independence Magazine, 19th September, 1983 |date=1983 |language=en |page=26}}</ref></poem>
+|}
 ==References==
-{{Reflist|group=note}}
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
+*[http://nationalanthems.me/saint-kitts-and-nevis-o-land-of-beauty/ Information, links and streaming audio for the St. Kitts and Nevis national anthem] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20180326202845/http://nationalanthems.me/saint-kitts-and-nevis-o-land-of-beauty/ archive link])
-*[http://www.navyband.navy.mil/anthems/ANTHEMS/St.%20Kitt's%20and%20Nevis.mp3 Listen to ''O Land of Beauty'' (instrumental version, mp3)]
-*[http://nationalanthems.me/saint-kitts-and-nevis-o-land-of-beauty/ Information, links and streaming audio for the St. Kitts and Nevis national anthem]
 {{National Anthems of North America}}
 [[Category:National symbols of Saint Kitts and Nevis]]
-[[Category:Saint Kitts and Nevis music]]
+[[Category:Music of Saint Kitts and Nevis]]
 [[Category:National anthems]]
 [[Category:North American anthems]]
 [[Category:Saint Kitts and Nevis songs]]
+[[Category:Compositions in B-flat major]]
 {{SaintKittsNevis-stub}}