An arrangement of the Icelandic National Anthem for Brass Quintet.

Much like the United States anthem, the Icelandic national anthem is originally written for a particular occasion and it probably did not occur to either the poet or the composer that the song was destined to become a national anthem.

In Iceland, nation-wide celebrations were held throughout 1874 to mark the 1000th anniversary of the first Norse settlement of the island. (This is the “Iceland’s thousand years” that are referenced in the anthem.) To mark the occassion, the Bishop of Iceland decreed that church services on August 2 of that year were to be held based on the anniversary, and the text to be presented was Psalm 90. The Rev. Matthías Jochumsson then decided to write a poem based on the Biblical text and the millennial anniversary. While abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland, he met up with Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson, who Jochumsson asked to compose music for his poem.

While popular, it was not considered a national anthem. Icelandic independence was still over 40 years away. At the time that “Ó, Guð vors lands” (O, God of Our Land) was written, Icelanders usually sung “Eldgamla Ísafold” by Bjarni Thorarensen as a national anthem. However, that song had anti-Danish (the colonial power) lyrics and was set to the tune of the British national anthem. Therefore “Ó, Guð vors lands” (O, God of Our Land) was played as the national anthem when soverignity was proclaimed in 1918. The anthem has three verses, but the first is usually the one sung.

If you need a national anthem of a country not yet in my store, e-mail me your requirments:keithterrett@gmail.com

For more of my original music, great arrangements and all the national anthems of the world, check out my on-line stores: http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/keith_terret http://musicforalloccasions.org.uk http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/search?Ntt=keith+terrett

Need an anthem fast? They are ALL in my store! All my anthem arrangements are also available for Orchestra, Recorders, Saxophones, Wind, Brass and Flexible band. If you need an anthem urgently for an instrumentation not in my store, let me know via e-mail, and I will arrange it for you FOC if possible! keithterrett@gmail.com

For more of my original music, great arrangements and all the national anthems of the world, check out my on-line stores: http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/keith_terret

Need an anthem fast? They are ALL in my store! All my anthem arrangements are also available for Orchestra, Recorders, Saxophones, Wind, Brass and Flexible band. If you need an anthem urgently for an instrumentation not in my store, let me know via e-mail, and I will arrange it for you FOC if possible! keithterrett@gmail.com