BoingBoing have been listening to Edith.. but with Taoiseach Brian Cowen, along with other EU leaders, attending this year’s Bastille Day celebrations – and there will no doubt be a certain topic under discussion – I’ll restrict myself to saying, once again, Vive la France!
It’s the quiet ones you have to watch, they say. When I last saw Eamonn Namcarrow, back in the mid 1980s he was a congenial, good-natured and highly sociable young lad. The next time was 26 years later, in Lavery’s Gin Palace in Bradbury Place. He’d just brought out his first book, Holywood Star about [...] read our review »
What was life like for children of political activists during the Troubles? A new book by Bill Rolston and published by Guildhall Press during the summer has collected together the stories of twenty Children of the Revolution whose parents’ activities – and in many cases, imprisonment – had a significant affect on childhoods and life [...] read our review »
Good man Pete. Happened across Casablanca on TCM 2 yesterday just at this scene. Marvellous stuff.
I think La Marseillaise is the most stirring of national anthems.
“Most stirring”
A slow mournful Flower of Scotland takes some beating…
Dewi,
Not close to being in the same league. Though it also is great.
I’d like to hear La M.with a bagpipe backing to make a true comparison…..
jc ,
‘I think La Marseillaise is the most stirring of national anthems. ”
Indeed and instantly the most recognisable . In translation the Marseillaise is somewhat bloodthirsty making our Soldiers Song sound like an afternoon exchange of fisticuffs in the park
Anyway Vive La France and all she has done and suffered for our ‘freedoms’ in the past few centuries. I’m off now to listen to Mireille Mathieu ‘s version of the anthem
Just finished “The Fall of Paris: The Siege and the Commune”
Great book, didn’t realize just how bloody things were. The Terror unleashed on former Communards far outdid the notorious “Reign of Terror” of Robespierre and the Jacobins
It certainly did. All in the name of the Republic of course
Well, if it’s Self-Indulgent Monday then, ahem, http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IH3aQJj119Y
You won’t beat that
Hmmm – just in case I misled anyone by not stating the obvious (not a common failing of mine) – our anthem is obviously the best in the world – we are talking about potential candidates for number two……
Proceeded by the best Welsh hymn ever
I love the French national anthem, but my French missus thinks it’s cringeworthy.
Anyway, it’s Bastille day and I got a day of work, just listening to the fireworks go off as I type this.
Vive La France! indeed. If irish republicans were offering a great secular republic like this one, I’d seriously think about taking them up on their offer.
I found it impossible not to join in (with the few bits I knew the words of) when they were playing Ireland in Paris last October.
TAFABO,
As a very good friend of mine who is in The Workers’ Party once said, “I’m a republican in the French tradition. I believe in the guillotine”. Sounds like a sensible approach. Quite an irony in the crowds gathering at Sacre Coeur for the celebrations of the Revolution I find. Love it.
Death to tyrants!
‘La Marseillaise’ is the number one national anthem (just a pity about the repulsive revolution, the dreadful consequences of which we live with to this day, which the song celebrates), ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ is number two, not sure what number three would be but ‘Flower of Scotland’ would certainly be in the top ten.
Play this at full volume, she was such a beauty and man what a voice (and no she wasn’t miming it).
Whitney giving it lilty
OK, way too much time on my hands this afternoon, this is especially for Greenflag, I was in Paris that day, missed the big parade but thoroughly enjoyed myself getting sozzled on cheap Rose wine and singing along with the best of the Parisians.
Another hot babe belts one out
And let’s not forget this beautiful, haunting tune by Joseph Haydn.
Crank up the Ack Ack guns lads!
Not in the same league but love Hayley’s Maori version !!
…and here’s one in memory of the Communards mention by Earnan above, and for all who live to see one banner and one anthem for all of mankind.
…or rather here it is now. Apologies for the delay in service.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovAfRU2oF8g
Ah yes Rory the Red Flag, another great anthem and so evocative of a dim and distant past when the British Labour party actually had principles.
That’s right, Harry, they do appear to be batting for your team nowadays but then that was ever their fallback position.
Aint Sarkozy kinda like another little Napoleon?
The new Emperor of Europe!
Ye could see him soaking up Bastille Day. What a parade too!
Viva la France, I suppose!
You won’t beat that
Posted by Dewi on Jul 14, 2008 @ 08:38 PM
Seemed to be a shortage of necks on that pitch..eh?
Love La Marseillaise, a wonderfully rousing anthem, Land of My Fathers is a beutifull anthem which makes the hairs on my neck stand up so heaven knows what it does for you, Dewi! I think that Russia, Brazil, Italy and Australia all have fantastic anthems too. My favorite though (of course) is the song which should be England’s national anthem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73eB-aAo8Eg
Just a little bit of info: La Marseillaise was adopted as the National Anthem in 1880, the year that Bastille Day was first held as a day of National celebration. It was composed in a single evening by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle, a young engineer stationed with the army of the Rhine.
(Acknowledges to the Economist).
Joe,
It was used as effectively the national anthem during the French Revolution, and was widely known throughout Europe and America. It’s unbeatable. Even better than the Internationale.
Well if we’re on about songs that [i]should[/i] be national anthems how about this sung by Ireland’s second greatest tenor (after Joe Locke of course, well I am a Derry man), I believe Rory was at his first concert.
Old scratchy recording
And here’s one to bring a tear to Comrade Stalin’s eye
Bunch of oul’ Commies
The Soviet anthem would bring a tear to anyone’s eye Harry surely. The sound of liberation.
Brilliant Harry – loved them both !
Nowt to do with anthems but have you seen this?
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3SFppCXNOyk
Unbelievable
@Garibaldy
“The sound of liberation.”
Hmmm, tens of millions of Poles, Estonians, Czechs, Hungarians, Bulgarians, Latvians, Slovaks, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Romanians and Finns might not agree with you there Gari.
Not to mention the Kazakhs, Turkmen, Afghans, Uzbeks, Georgians, Armenians, Tajiks etc who weren’t sorry to see the back of ‘em either.
I’ll not include the East Germans, they got what was coming to them and hell rub it up them, the two murderous faces of European totalitarianism deserved each other, just a shame so many other nations got rolled over in the process of destroying them both.
@Dewi
Not a dry eye in the house with that wee Korean girl.
I recently (finally) got a decent high speed broadband connection and I am now a total YouTube addict, great, my poor long suffering wife really needed another addiction to keep her husband sitting up late at night!
I thought you’d like that remark Harry.