The Scotland rugby team lines up for the national anthem

Flower of Scotland (Flùr na h-Alba in Gaelic) is an unofficial national anthem of Scotland, a role for which it competes against the older Scotland the Brave. In common with England among the Home Nations, Scotland has no official national anthem. Flower of Scotland was written by Roy Williamson of the folk group The Corries and presented in 1967^[1]. The song refers to the victory of the Scots, led by King Robert the Bruce over the King of England, Edward II, at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. // Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... This article is about the country. ... Scotland the Brave (Scottish Gaelic: Alba an Aigh) is a patriotic song and one of the main contenders to be considered as a national anthem of Scotland. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Home Nations (often written as the common noun home nations) is a term used to refer to the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — collectively but as separate entities, distinct from the United Kingdom as a state. ... Roy Williamson (25 June 1936, Edinburgh - 12 August 1990, Forres) was a Scottish songwriter and folk musician, most notably with The Corries. ... The Corries were a Scottish folk group which emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Robert I, King of Scots (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329) usually known in modern English as Robert the Bruce (Mediaeval Gaelic:Roibert a Briuis; modern Scottish Gaelic: Raibeart Bruis; Norman French: Robert de Brus or Robert de Bruys; ) was King of the Scots from 1306 until his death. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the fourteenth century king of England. ... Combatants Kingdom of Scotland Kingdom of England Commanders Robert Bruce Edward II Strength about 6,500 20,000 Casualties unknown but light about 9,000 The Battle of Bannockburn (Blàr Allt a Bhonnaich in Gaelic) (June 24, 1314) was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence. ... Events June 24 - Battle of Bannockburn. ...

The song is a particular favourite of Scottish national rugby union team fans, who first adopted it for the Lions tour of South Africa in 1974. The last two lines of each verse are generally sung with particular ferocity, especially before games against England. The Scottish Football Association adopted Flower of Scotland as its official pre-game anthem in 1997 although it was first used by them in 1993, following the Scottish Rugby Union's example. Usually only the first and third verses are sung. First international (also the worlds first)  Scotland 4 - 1 England  (27 March 1871) Largest win  Scotland 100 - 8 Japan  (13 November 2004) Worst defeat  Scotland 10 - 68 South Africa  (6 December 1997) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1987) Best result Semi-finals, 1991 The Scotland national rugby union... First match Otago 3 - 8 Great Britain (28 April 1888) Largest win Manawatu 6 - 109 British & Irish Lions (28 June 2005) Worst defeat New Zealand 38 - 6 Lions (16 July 1983) The British and Irish Lions (until 2001 known as the British Isles Rugby Union Team or more colloquially the... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... First international (also the worlds first)  Scotland 4–1 England  (27 March 1871) Largest win  England 134–0 Romania  (17 November 2001) Worst defeat  Australia 76–0 England  (6 June 1998) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 2003 The England national rugby union team represents... The Scottish Football Association (SFA) is the governing body for the sport of football in Scotland. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Registered logo of Scottish Rugby Union - used with permission The Scottish Rugby Union plc is the official title of the governing body of rugby union in Scotland, usually referred to as the Scottish Rugby Union (often abbreviated to SRU) or just as Scottish Rugby. Phil Anderton was the Chief Executive...

The introduction of Flower of Scotland was partly due to hostility amongst rugby and football fans toward the British national anthem God Save the Queen being used to represent Scotland, there being no other suitable anthem at the time. The song was popular amongst rugby supporters and was finally brought in as an unofficial anthem in response to God Save the Queen being continually drowned out by the ferocious booing and whistling of some of the Scotland supporters. Publication of an early version in The Gentlemans Magazine, 15 October 1745. ...

A public petition was presented to the Scottish Parliament in 2004 calling for another song to be selected instead. ^[2]. Donnie Munro, the former lead singer of Scottish rock band Runrig, has refused to sing the third verse when leading the audience on a rendition of Flower of Scotland, due to his British unionist views.^[3] This led to the third verse being dropped in favour of the second verse. Controversial at the time, it was reinstated later when Ronnie Browne of The Corries led the audience, as he had done many times prior to that. For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Donnie Munro (born August 2, 1953, Isle of Skye) is a Scottish musician, and former lead singer of the band Runrig. ... Runrig playing live link title Runrig are a Scottish folk rock band founded by brothers Rory and Calum MacDonald and their friend Blair Douglas in 1973 in the rural Western Isles of Scotland. ... The Corries were a Scottish folk group which emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. ...

The song is often sung during concerts in Glasgow. Notably during Machine Head concerts.^{[4] [5]} The machine heads on a Squier Stratocaster electric guitar. ...

A more practical snag is that Flower of Scotland is difficult to play on the bagpipes. The third last note is a flattened seventh, which is not considered to be part of the standard pipe scale. In order to hit the correct note, a 'forked fingering' must be used which less experienced players are unlikely to be familiar with. The tune was originally composed on the Northumbrian smallpipes, which play in F and have the benefit of keys on the chanter to achieve a greater range of notes. In music, see the intervals: seventh, musical group Major seventh minor seventh diminished seventh The note of a chord forming any of the above intervals with the chords root. ... The Northumbrian smallpipes (also known as the Northumbrian pipes) are bellows-blown bagpipes from Northumbria in the north-east of England. ...

In July 2006, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted an online poll (publicised by Reporting Scotland) in which voters could choose a national anthem from one of five candidates. 10,000 people took part in the poll in which Flower of Scotland came out a clear winner. The results were as follows: The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is Scotlands national symphony orchestra. ... Reporting Scotland is BBC Scotlands national television news programme. ...

The tune Highland Cathedral is composed by a German, and there are several sets of lyrics to it, including one from a second generation Scot, Terry Mechan in 1998.^[6] Scotland the Brave (Scottish Gaelic: Alba an Aigh) is a patriotic song and one of the main contenders to be considered as a national anthem of Scotland. ... Highland Cathedral is a popular bagpipe tune from Scotland. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: A Mans a Man for A That The Scots song Is There For Honest Poverty, by Robert Burns, is more commonly known as A Mans A Man For A That, and famous for its expression of egalitarian ideas of society... Scots Wha Hae (a calque on the English Scots Who Have; the traditional Scots idiom would be Scots That Haes; Scottish Gaelic: Brosnachadh Bhruis) is a patriotic song of Scotland which served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country, but has lately been largely supplanted... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

In 2008, the Scottish folk metal band Alestorm recorded a version of Flower of Scotland as the closing track on their debut album Captain Morgan's Revenge. 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the country. ... Folk metal is a diverse collection of music, encompassing a wide variety of different styles and approaches. ... Alestorm is a power metal band from Perth, Scotland formed under the name Battleheart in 2004. ...

Lyrics

Original

O Flower of Scotland,
When will we see,
Your like again,
That fought and died for,
Your wee bit Hill and Glen,
And stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.

The hills are bare now,
And autum leaves lie thick and still,
O'er land that is lost now,
Which those so dearly held,
And stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.

Those days are past now,
And in the past
They must remain,
But we can still rise now,
And be the nation again,
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.

Scottish Gaelic version

O Fhlùir na h-Alba,
cuin a chì sinn
an seòrsa laoich
a sheas gu bàs 'son
am bileag feòir is fraoich,
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaidh
air chaochladh smaoin? Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ...

Na cnuic tha lomnochd
's tha duilleach Foghair
mar bhrat air làr,
am fearann caillte
dan tug na seòid ud gràdh,
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaigh
air chaochladh smaoin.

Tha 'n eachdraidh dùinte
ach air dìochuimhne
chan fheum i bhith,
is faodaidh sinn èirigh
gu bhith nar Rìoghachd a-rìs
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaidh
air chaochladh smaoin.

O Fhlùir na h-Alba,
cuin a chì sinn
an seòrsa laoich
a sheas gu bàs 'son
am bileag feòir is fraoich,
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
's a ruaig e dhachaidh
air chaochladh smaoin?

See also

• Highland Cathedral
• Scotland the Brave
• Scots Wha Hae
• A Man's a Man for A' That

Highland Cathedral is a popular bagpipe tune from Scotland. ... Scotland the Brave (Scottish Gaelic: Alba an Aigh) is a patriotic song and one of the main contenders to be considered as a national anthem of Scotland. ... Scots Wha Hae (a calque on the English Scots Who Have; the traditional Scots idiom would be Scots That Haes; Scottish Gaelic: Brosnachadh Bhruis) is a patriotic song of Scotland which served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country, but has lately been largely supplanted... Wikisource has original text related to this article: A Mans a Man for A That The Scots song Is There For Honest Poverty, by Robert Burns, is more commonly known as A Mans A Man For A That, and famous for its expression of egalitarian ideas of society...

Other Rugby Match Songs

• Ireland's Call
• The Fields of Athenry
• Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Irelands Call is a song commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union for use at international rugby union fixtures featuring the Irish rugby union team. ... The Fields of Athenry is a song about the Great Irish Famine (1845-1849), composed in the 1970s by Inchicore songwriter Pete St. ... Swing Low, Sweet Chariot is a United States African-American Negro spiritual song. ...

References

1. ^ The Corries website - (visited 28.08.2007)
2. ^ Scotsman.com: Executive to study call for new anthem, 25.11.2004 - (visited 26.05.2007)
3. ^ Jordanhill School: IEM National Citizenships - (visited 26.05.2007)
4. ^ [1]Flower Of Scotland during Machine Head. 07/06/07
5. ^ [2] Flower Of Scotland during The Black Crusade
6. ^ Morgle.com: Highland Cathedral - (visited 26.05.2007)

External links

• MP3 file and lyrics
• MP3 file, instrumental
• MIDI sound file
• Modern History Sourcebook: The Flower of Scotland
• Video of SCOCHA performing Flower of Scotland(including bagpipes)