AH Challenge: Make Land of Hope and Glory the British national anthem

[pipisme]

The POD is after it was written in 1902. Here is the wikipedia entry for it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_Hope_and_Glory.

[BillyShears]

Originally Posted by pipisme

The POD is after it was written in 1902. Here is the wikipedia entry for it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_Hope_and_Glory.

Prime Minister Mosley sticks by King Edward VIII during the OTL marriage crisis. When both their Nazi sympathies are revealed by opposition leader Winston Churchill of the Popular Front the public and political mood rapidly turns against them.

With Mosley leaning more and more towards fascism, Churchill helps mastermind a military coup to force them out. Mosley is shot dead whilst the monarch evades capture, escaping to Germany in exile.

Realising 'God Save the King' is a silly anthem given the circumstances, Parliament decides to change the anthem to 'Land of Hope and Glory' in honour of Edward VII whilst his grandson and Edward VIII's brother Albert is declared Prince regent. It is never officially changed back, and remains the de facto anthem of the United Kingdom.

[jkarr]

Originally Posted by BillyShears

Prime Minister Mosley sticks by King Edward VIII during the OTL marriage crisis. When both their Nazi sympathies are revealed by opposition leader Winston Churchill of the Popular Front the public and political mood rapidly turns against them.

With Mosley leaning more and more towards fascism, Churchill helps mastermind a military coup to force them out. Mosley is shot dead whilst the monarch evades capture, escaping to Germany in exile.

Realising 'God Save the King' is a silly anthem given the circumstances, Parliament decides to change the anthem to 'Land of Hope and Glory' in honour of Edward VII whilst his grandson and Edward VIII's brother Albert is declared Prince regent. It is never officially changed back, and remains the de facto anthem of the United Kingdom.

what about scotland, whales and northern ireland?....land of hope and glory has always largly being a english anthem, not a anthem in common with the rest of the uk

[Sior]

Originally Posted by jkarr

what about scotland, whales and northern ireland?....land of hope and glory has always largly being a english anthem, not a anthem in common with the rest of the uk

Is that Blue, Right, Bowhead, minki Whales?
I suspect you meant Wales in Sais or Cymru in God's language.

God Save the Queen (King) has always been the anthem of Great Britain but is used at ALL events by the English giving GSQ the identity of the English anthem.

[Blackadder mk 2]

Longer Edward VIII reign, no Simpson but the route to Abdication is in other areas, means that the political class wants to distance from the idea due to some large figures backing the King, resulting in a ten year long period where "God Save the King" is replaced with something patriotic and inspiring but also not as linked to the King with Hope and Glory being chosen.

[Garrison]

Originally Posted by Sior

Is that Blue, Right, Bowhead, minki Whales?
I suspect you meant Wales in Sais or Cymru in God's language.

God Save the Queen (King) has always been the anthem of Great Britain but is used at ALL events by the English giving GSQ the identity of the English anthem.

Equally it's seldom used by the other nations when they don't have to. Ironically I believe the only nation of the United Kingdom that actually gets a name check GSQ is Scotland, and that verse doesn't get sung any more.
Anyway Scotland uses 'Flower of Scotland' for all sporting events, and indeed it was used at the Olympic opening ceremony, with Jerusalem for England, which always struck me as a far more fitting English Anthem. GSQ was only played when the Queen arrived.

[BillyShears]

Originally Posted by jkarr

what about scotland, whales and northern ireland?....land of hope and glory has always largly being a english anthem, not a anthem in common with the rest of the uk

As a Welshman and Briton myself, the anthem of the UK is generally 'God Save the Queen' just England doesn't have one so thats the default. Most English people would prefer 'Jerusalem' though I believe.

I've never thought of Land of Hope and Glory as an English anthem myself, I much prefer it to the dirge that is the Welsh anthem, I'd rather Men of Harlech myself

[The Professor]

Why not Rule, Britannia?

Seems much more fitting

[BillyShears]

Originally Posted by The Professor

Why not Rule, Britannia?

Seems much more fitting

Crowds can only really sing the chorus, the rest of it would be notoriously difficult

[Lord Grattan]

Originally Posted by BillyShears

Crowds can only really sing the chorus, the rest of it would be notoriously difficult

Definitely; given verses' rhythm, the song would sound like it's being sung by a crowd at the local pub most every time.

[BillyShears]

Originally Posted by Lord Grattan

Definitely; given verses' rhythm, the song would sound like it's being sung by a crowd at the local pub most every time.

And now rise for the British national anthem:

When Britain first, first, azure shsnfsnmfks,akgnmsgs,fkglsjfnsfs ksmfsghskfnmslsngksllsfslsls... awh screw it....

RULE BRITANNIA, BRITANNIA RULES THE WAVES!

[pipisme]

It somehow becomes the anthem of a Socialist Britain, with no change in the music [Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 by Edward Elgar].

Here is my attempt at the chorus:
Land of Hope and Glory, mother of the free
How can we extol thee, our Socialist home so dear?
Further still and further shall our cause advance;
The People made thee mighty, will make thee mightier yet
The People made thee mighty, will make thee mightier yet.

I have tried to get the words to scan with the music.

[David S Poepoe]

I would wonder if in the US there would be a change at graduations from Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance No.1, which I think is severely overused, to another piece of music. Perhaps as during the Great War, when the use of Mendelssohn's Wedding March was temporarily replaced with works by American composers, the same thing would happen.