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'', "God Save the Queen", or '''"God Save the King"''', is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth Realm s; it presently serves as the National Anthem of the United Kingdom , one of the two national anthems of New Zealand , and the Royal Anthem of Canada and of Australia . The title of the song varies with the gender of the reigning monarch, and so it now uses "Queen", though "King" has been historically commoner. In countries not previously part of the British Empire the tune of "God Save the Queen" has also been used as the basis for different patriotic songs, though still generally connected with royal ceremony. The authorship of the song is unknown, and beyond its first verse, which is consistent, it has many historic and extant versions: Since its first publication, different verses have been added and taken away and, even today, different publications include various selections of verses in various orders.cf. the versions in the hymn books ''English Hymnal'', ''Hymns Ancient and Modern'' and ''Songs of Praise'' and the version at the website royalty.gov.uk . In general only one, or sometimes two verses are sung, but on rare occasions three.1 One or two bars may also form a part of the Vice Regal Salute in Commonwealth Realm s outside the United Kingdom. The words of the song, like its title, are fitted to the gender of monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns. In the United Kingdom, the last line of the third verse is also changed (see below). HISTORY The origin of the tune is surrounded by uncertainty, myth and speculation. In '' The Oxford Companion To Music '', Percy Scholes devotes about four pages to this subject,2 pointing out the similarities to an early Plainsong melody, although the rhythm is very distinctly that of a Galliard , and he gives examples of several such dance tunes that bear a striking resemblance to "God Save the King/Queen." Scholes quotes a keyboard piece by Dr. John Bull (1619) which has some strong similarities to the modern tune, depending on the placing of Accidentals that at that time were unwritten in certain cases and left to the discretion of the player (see '' Musica Ficta ''). He also points to several pieces by Henry Purcell , one of which includes the opening notes of the modern tune, set to the words "God Save The King/Queen." The first definitive published version of the present tune appeared in 1744 in '' Thesaurus Musicus '', as a setting of the familiar first verse, and the song was popularised in Scotland and England the following year, with the landing of Charles Edward Stuart . It was recorded as being sung in London theatres in 1745, with, for example, Thomas Arne writing a setting of the tune for the Drury Lane Theatre . Scholes' analysis includes mention of "untenable" and "doubtful" claims, as well as "an American misattribution." Some of these are:
Scholes recommends the attribution "traditional" or "traditional; earliest known version by John Bull (1562–1628)." The '' English Hymnal '' (musical editor Ralph Vaughan Williams ) gives no attribution, stating merely "17th or 18th cent."6Hymn No. 560 "National Anthem" USE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM .]] "God Save the Queen" currently acts as the National Anthem of the United Kingdom , though it has never been officially adopted by Royal Proclamation or Act Of Parliament , but, rather, has become entrenched by tradition alone. In general only one or two verses are sung, but on rare occasions three.7 The British variation of the lyrics to "God Save the Queen" is the oldest amongst those currently used, and forms the basis on which all other versions used throughout the Commonwealth are formed; though, again, the words have varied throughout the years. British lyrics In 1745, ''. Scholes acknowledges these possibilities but argues that the same words were probably being used by both Jacobite and Hanoverian supporters and directed at their respective kings.Scholes p.412 "Standard" British version |
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