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There is no historical record of such a visit ever taking place. I guess no one wants to be left out, so the British have this song and the Americans have the Mormons who also claim that Jesus visited America.
Hi sogal, I like that you enjoy our proms music so much. There is however one patriotic English song that's not played at last night of the proms but is on RU-vid and that's "I vow to thee my country". I mention it because at some time you might want to check it out. I really love the patriotic proms music but in my personal opinion 'I vow to thee my country' comes even above the proms music.
SoGal, I think to get to grips with this, I mean Jerusalem, you need to separate the Poem and its author William Blake (1757 - 1827) from the hymn created from his text by Parry in 1916, an establishment figure born to landed gentry who studied at Eton and Oxford. Blake was a complex man with strange complex ideas about the transcendent power of art and the creative process, he was anti-establishment, in the sense he did not, would not, conform to the modes and morals of his time. I suspect he would be horrified by the fact that the establishment took up his words as if they spoke for them, first by becoming the song sung at Women's Institute meetings and now by those wishing to second into the society he rejected, so much so now in our commercial and destructive consumer driven world, by making it the English national anthem. Blake is buried not from from my home in Bunhill fields Burial Ground in the London Borough of Islington, where I'm certain he's spinning in his grave at the very thought.
Jerusalem is a masterpiece, if we ever needed a new national anthem, just for England - and it already de facto is at the rugby - it would surely be Jerusalem.
@@duanetapp1280 BUT THERE IS NO MENTION OF ENGLAND IN THAT ANTHEM...WERE AS "JERUSALEM"...ENGLANDS GREEN + PLEASANT LAND......."ON ENGLANDS PLEASANT PASTURES SEEN" + "WALK UPON ENGLANDS MOUNTAINS GREEN"....AS for GOD SAVE THE QUEEN/KING IT IS A FABIAN BRITISH FAKE SONG MADE UP TO FIT A FABIAN BRITISH FAKE NATION, YOU CAN'T HAVE A NATION/COUNTRY WITHOUT A CULTURE + THE BRITISH DON'T HAVE A CULTURE, ...BRITISH IS AN IDEOLOGY PUSHED BY THE FABIAN SOCIETY (a Marxist Communist Ideology) to destroy England + English Culture.
I’m Australian and listening to Jerusalem brings a tear to my eye as well. It is such a moving hymn that good men can build heaven on earth. It is based on the Glastonbury legends of Joseph of Arimathea and young Jesus visiting Southern England on a trading mission for most probably tin. The legend is undoubtedly medieval to help encourage pilgrimage to the sites Christ was supposed to have visited.
Completely possible; tin is needed for bronze so trade ("my dealer won't tell me where he gets it") was pretty long standing from Cornwall through to the middle east. This would be a long established route. Don't know where I heard it, but also came across the idea many years ago that Jesus also went east and travelled India. Hence he had a very broad view of how human society should be and could see from travels that the local customs (and established Roman tyranny) of his homeland was not the only way.
@@xlerb_again_to_music7908 yes hence the name “Tintagel” in Cornwall where they are now known to have traded tin with the Mediterranean for olive oil as far back as the Dark Ages. Fascinating.
@@penname5766 You are correct there is archaeological evidence of trading with the Roman, Egyptian and Persian empires around the time of Jesus, and earlier. Have to correct you about Tintagel though. Tintagel has nothing to do with tin (for a start the Cornish (Kernowek) word for tin is sten). Tintagel is probably anglicised from the Cornish "din" meaning a fort and "tagell" meaning narrow or constricted. The castle was only accessible by crossing a narrow strip of land. The current town was only know as Tintagel from Victorian times. before that is was known as Trevenna. There is the remains of a gold mine in Tintagel Haven Though 😊
@@KernowWella oh sorry - I thought I had heard somewhere that the name was related to tin mining as I know there is a lot of tin in Cornwall and I’m pretty sure when I was watching a documentary about it they said that it was tin that was traded for olive oil.
@@penname5766 The haven that sits just below the castle island was once a major trading post, and tin was probably bought up from further down for transporting. There are a few old mineral mines in the area (Manganese for example), and at least one small abandoned gold mine under the castle. This area is more well know for its slate quarrying. An example of a village that probably got its name from the tin is a place called Stenalees in mid Cornwall (the "sten" part meaning tin) 🙂
Jerusalem was my school hymn. We sang it every morning during assembly. Still makes me cry. I had it played at my mums funeral earlier this year. She was, like me, English to the core.
As a Brit and long time resident of the US the Last Night of the Proms is something not to be missed. I cannot imagine what it will be like now the Queen has passed.
I wouldn't class myself as excessively patriotic, I don't think the UK is the best at everything but Jerusalem is a really moving piece and it makes me reflect on all the sacrifices people before me have made in peace and war to make this kingdom what it is.
@@Sierraomega1991 totally agree. Despite being a Scotsman I have to say Jersusalem is wonderful. Our own anthem is a real dirge - we need somthing more fitting.
William Blake wrote his poem for the same reason Charles Dickens wrote about the class distinctions in British society. The Industrial Revolution was going hot and heavy. The rural atmosphere was giving way to the "dark satanic mills". Social injustice was rampant. Living conditions were appalling. The rich were getting richer while the poor were dying from all manner of illnesses and industrial accidents. Blake, as well as Dickens, did not "cease from mental fight" nor did they allow their swords (writing pens) to sleep in their hands, as they struggled to build Jerusalem, the City on a Hill, the Shining City, the City of the All Good, "on England's green and pleasant land." It is a call to arms, as it were, for social justice and reform.
As a Yank and know something about our industrial revolution but it was those dark satanic mills that made Britain a world power as well as the United States. Mass production and the free market did more to end slavery and poverty then any other system that has ever been tried. Of course there is a price for progress and living conditions may not have been the best as people moved into cities that became crowded and UN-healthy but in time conditions improved. Nevertheless I love that particular hymn.
...and what more noble calling can we make to ourselves and to future generations than to improve our nation and society? While the modern take on 'social justice' is a hideous shadow of the moral virtues of Blake and Dickens, the real desire to make one's nation a better place is a great thing to have as a national anthem.
I love this hymn so much. It's a song that starts based in long told myth and legend and actually plausible information. England had some of the largest and rarest tin mines in the ancient world and a provable trade of English tin throughout Europe and as far as Egypt and beyond, it being one of the main reasons the Romans wanted to take Britain into her empire, as bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. The lyrics go on to compare the legend of Jesus bringing heaven on earth to Britain (as England was yet to emerge) to the devilish visage of smoke and pollution and the poverty of those who were attracted to the black industrial landscape that was once so green and so welcoming and pure that the Son of God could lay his feet upon the land. The last part of the song goes on the warn the listener that for heaven to exist in England again, one must not be lazy and allow others to make it possible, we must not let our swords sleep in our hands, as peace will not return without vigilance and strength and purpose. I think it's one of the most spiritual songs ever written.
It was only when I returned to south wales (and parts of the West Midlands south of Birmingham) after the passing of the smoke fulled industries , (though its difficult to tell the difference between spoil tips, slag heaps and natural geology, that I appreciated how underlyingly green and verdant were the valleys , hills and flat bits of the British Isles (I was more use to say the unspoilt moors of Dartmoor). Having said that I found the bits of northern France - particulary off the Siene as it flows to the Channel/Atlantic to be far more spectacular - I guess France is just bigger - horizontally and vertically !
Only in England will you get Jerusalem one night & the cure doing a cancer benefit gig a few days later..........sometimes l like being English........
The flowers are Daffodils. Wales not only has a spectacular flag, green and white and a red dragon it has national symbols of the Daffodil and the Leek. On St David’s day as children in school the girls wore traditional dress and a daffodil. The boys, being boys, would wear a leek. The classroom stank of leeks (leeks are a member of the onion family)!
The best part of the national dress was the very tall black hat lined with lace. All the schools in my town of Barry would go to the memorial hall for a celebration and then (hooray) we would all get the afternoon off and walk around the town centre in our national costume.
@@suetremlett l would have preferred to be elsewhere.........no leeks, red dragons........sounds like an alchi's dream........and all of it..,,........
Personally as an Englishman I find ‘Jerusalem’ to be incredibly stirring musically, to me the words of William Blake are about striving to build a better country for future generations. I was incredibly affected when Scarlett heard ‘God Save the Queen’ and stood up in front of you out of respect, what a moment to treasure!🐕❤️
Yes..it's the same for me..I live abroad and it makes me tear up and want to return home every time I hear it...I just love the way it builds and blows the roof off..emotional stuff.
I was there! The one year that I managed to get to the Last Night was 2012, I was up in the gods having got in on the 'last hope queue' outside that afternoon :) I've not seen England since 2017 - I was due a trip to see the family just when Covid arrived three years later and being in NZ, I've not been able to travel since. Hearing Jerusalem sung by a large and patriotic crowd really does bring a tear to the eye... :')
Good Reaction, as always. As an Englishman, I feel incredibly proud of my country that has given me 67 wonderful years, thus far. I emphasize ENGLAND as opposed to The UK, much as I like the other Countries but, in the same way, that Scots, Irish and Welsh people love to extol the virtues of their individual countries and tell everyone, proudly, that is where they are from then I feel the same about "England's Green and Pleasant Land" and only today in my local 185 Acre Park right on the edge of London I was thinking that there is nowhere on earth that I would rather be.:) I am not Anti-Royal Family but I find our Anthem a dirge and it should be Jerusalem or Land Of Hope And Glory and I like Rule Britannia with GSTQ a distant 4th choice :)
Rule 'Britannia' and GSTQ are 'British' anthems and England should stick to one of its own. Jerusalem is wonderful and if I were English (I'm Scottish) I'd pick that one. Btw Rule Britannia was a poem originally written by two Scots, James Thomson and David Malloch.
Apparently the Queen Mother surprised some guests by rushing to turn off the National Anthem at the close down of TV one evening, saying "I think we've all heard enough of that tune"
The whole crowd singing means huge swells of sound that resonate around the Albert hall which is acoustically designed from the first build. Powerful. Brings tears to the eyes every time I hear it or sing it. I think it connects us to our culture generations previous and a current.
That was a beautiful arrangement of 'God Save the Queen', much nicer than the standard anthem. As for 'Jerusalem', I am an atheist and strictly-speaking not English, but it nevertheless makes my heart swell when I hear it. "I will not cease from mental fight, nor shall my sword sleep in my hand", until I have helped make my country a better place - what could be a finer anthem?
"Good save the Quenn"? Un plagiat ....Un chef d'œuvre volé à la France.Il fut composé par Jean-Baptiste Lully et vendu à l'Angleterre par un autrichien qui en avait reproduit la composition! Voilà la vérité!
@@jean-luchochart6960 It's always entertaining when people post their conspiracy theories in French. It just adds that little extra touch of mystery! 😂
@@gagatube La théorie du complot se nomme Jean-Baptiste Lully! Il n'y a rien de mystérieux à voler des œuvres. C'est juste très anglais. So britsh.................
I love Jerusalem as it just sounds pure and hopeful to me. When England cricket team play matches this song plays before the match starts. A stadium of people singing to it with pride is quite stirring. I'm not patriotic, but this is something to love.
"Jerusalem" has more backing as England's national song than "Land of Hope and Glory".. The lyrics are from Blake's poem. This song is revered only in England. Scotland and Wales have their own national songs. The idea is to have a system where "God Save the Queen" is only used in the presence of the monarch or when the United Kingdom as a whole is being referenced: ie the Olympics. In the Commonwealth Games and most sports events where each of the component nations compete individually the national songs are used.
I'm Welsh and I _revere_ the song and very much support its being used as the English anthem, but _Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau_ is mine. It's a great poem, a great tune and I'm happy to sing it! I really respect properly and uniquely English identity and folk culture; much more than I do 'British' nationalism as tied with Church, State, Monarchy etc. I wouldn't sing 'God Save the Queen' on pain of death (exaggeration, obviously lol).
At the World Cup and Euro, both the English and Northern Irish teams use GStQ as well, despite representing those countries only and not the UK as a whole.
I love the Benjamin Britten arrangement of The Queen. Partly for the hushed reverence of the first verse, swelling into the glorious final verse. Also, partly because it flushes out those who don't know the final verse.
well the Last Night of the Proms version of the anthem is probably the most intense version going, the only place i've heard more than just the first verse of it too
Hi, that really was great fun, please don't worry about any technical glitches and Scarlet was a delight as always. Jerusalem had been about for over 100 years before it was put to music. The music was added during WW1 to make a patriotic song that would strengthen morale. God Save The Queen is the national anthem of the UK. Each constituent nation, except England, has its own song, Scotland has Flower of Scotland, Wales has Land of my Fathers and Northern Ireland has The Londonderry Air. England has none so often at purely England occasions, such as England sporting events, God Save The Queen is played. There has been talk for years about England having its own song and Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem are the main contenders but nothing has come of it except for the Commonwealth Games and England cricket matches where Jerusalem is used.
There is something really moving about Jerusalem’s poignant questioning of our spiritual state, and we also like being described as a “pleasant land” boasting with understatement. It was our school song, so its been in my repertoire since then
William Blake I think was already questioning about the polluted one time " how green was my valley" type places. Quite why it got incorporated into Church / Cathedral songs (like the one on Rememberence Sunday - O Valiant Heart) as it has no foundation within Biblical accepted canon of the C of E (or RC !).
Wonderful. And I'd fight to the death for Her Majesty. I fear a tad for this Country once God forbid Her Majesty is no longer with us. She's been our Monarch for so long. Of course not everyone feels the same but many do they'll also fight to the death for Her Majesty. This doesn't only apply to those in The Forces. Certainly no Politician, and no other Royal can ever invoke the same feeling in people as Her Majesty The Queen.
As an Aussie, I feel much the same. Though spread out across the globe in Britain, in Canada, in Australia, in New Zealand, we are still brothers united in our loyalty to the crown. God save the queen!
Me, too. As an English Quaker, I'm not supposed to fight for anything! But I would, without hesitation, lay down my life for Her Majesty. Whatever the future of the monarchy after her, she has inspire and truly earned the faithful devotion of so many of he subjects - around the world. May God bless her.
The reason Jerusalem is advocated as a National Anthem for England, really applies primarily to sporting events centred on what we call the Home Nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This goes back around 150 years ago. International matches: football, Rugby etc were only played amongst the " Home Nations". In around 1856 a Welsh Song, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , was composed and it rapidly became an unofficial Welsh National Anthem. In 1905 it was sung before a Welsh International Rugby match with New Zealand. It was immensely popular with the Welsh crowds and started being sung at all Welsh sporting events and has gradually become a very official Welsh National Anthem. Of course England, N.Ireland and Scotland were stuck with God Save The Queen. By 1960's or so Scottish Sporting Events started to use Flower of Scotland. Then N.Irish folk kinda use Danny Boy. The poor English are still stuck with the UK National Anthem, God Save The Queen. Hence attempts to use Jerusalem. I suggest you try and listen to the Welsh National Anthem ( always sung in the Welsh langage ) . It is very stirring.
@@simongreaves9465 The Cornish too : Bro goth agan tazow, dha fleghez a'th kar, Bro ger an howlsedhez, pana vro yw dha bar ... (Old land of our fathers, thy children love thee, Dear land of the west, whatever land is thy equal ...)
The West Point cadets do a fine rendition of Jerusalem. It's out there on You Tube. From a Brit. Thanks and respect to the men and women of the West Point Choir.
Blake was a fascinating character, to put it mildly. Much of his work (both poetry and art) features mystical allusions. The underlying message is an exhortation to the listener to struggle to build a Utopia (aka Jerusalem) in England. 15:40 My Country, 'Tis of Thee.
For us it make us cry , it hits us deep in our heart ! being a brit it means a lot to us ! its the gives us hope to give us hope , yes god save the queen is the national anthem ! land of hope and glory we send our men and army’s navy’s air force , off to war with this song , and welcome them home , if you look back to the falkland war we sent our ships to war with land of hope of hope and glory ! very moving for us ! your information is correct , and added to our arsenal of songs which were sung in the battle fields , when men were dying beside them , and needed to be left where they died , so families never knew where they loved ones died , all the men did was sing , so thats why songs became so important to us.
The Welsh boyos, take their 🐑 ,girlfriends Daffodils, just before they stand them on a cliff, ooh ,they push back better .Baabra 😉. Is her name you can hear him shouting after 30 seconds.
Just found this reaction (Scarlett is beautiful!), I love the song Jerusalem - especially at the Proms! And as it's now one month after Her Majesty The Queen has passed (and I shed some tears listening to God Save the Queen - never again in my lifetime will this be played), this was a wonderful reaction to listen to. Thank you.
rather you than me lol. i wouldnt die for my country. i have no patriotism myself. im a pracitcal person, il live anywhere, if this place was lost id leg it somewhere else. home is where you make it :) no point fighting and kiling. its humans greatest folly to kill each other, over worthless pieces of land, such a waste of life a waste of those soldiers potential, and the loss of someones son or daughter. nope not for me fighting.
I've watched a few "Americans react to the Proms" from various channels, and I like the way you look things up; you've said a few things that I didn't know before, which made me in turn look them up, and so my level of ignorance has very slightly decreased, thank you! There's a legend that when Jesus was young, his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, brought him to Britain on one of his trading trips - hence verse 1. it's also how the Holy Grail is said to have ended up in Britain, as Joseph brought it here and hid it.
I have been to Glastonbury (Tor and Town) . Interesting places and one can see how things got associated with the place - particulary when the water pre drainage would have covered the low lying lands around the area leaving the hills outstanding
@@highpath4776 - I've been there a few times, wish I could go back more often. I think they only drained the land comparatively recently; before that it was an island some times of the year. The Tor is really impressive! ps I think the old name for Glastonbury was Glass Island; it must have been an awesome sight, the Tor reflected in the water.
I live in a small town called Burnham on sea Somerset uk just a mile down the toad at Berrow is a plaque on a wall we’re once stood a building named “PARADISE “ supposedly named as the spot where Joseph ofArimathea landed with the boy Jesus on his travel to Glastonbury for Jesus to learn a trade of carpentry
I love the phrase......"my ignorance has slightly decreased",..........one presumes.........you are a Da Vinci, acolyte...golly gosh........lighten up mate.
There is another potential candidate for England's national anthem, besides Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory, and that is another hymn, and that's I Vow to Thee My Country. In this case, the melody is "Thaxted", the middle movement of Jupiter from Gustav Holst's Planet Suite. Gustav Holst is, of course, a German name and his paternal grandparents were of mixed German, Latvian and Swedish origins. However, his mother was of British origin and both Gustav and his father were born in England. His music definitely has Germanic influences, but also imbued with some elements of English folksong revival that was around at the time he wrote it at the start of the 20th century. So I Vow to thee My Country is a candidate in my view (words by Cecil Spring Rice - who, despite being English, was best man to president Theodore Roosevelt at his second wedding). For those that prefer a more secular form of national anthem with an entirely international feel, there's the words set to the same tune written for the first Rugby Union World Cup, that is "The World in Union with lyrics by Charlie Skarbek. Finally, if somebody wanted to go pop, there' the Manfred Mann's Earth Band adaptation of the same melody in the form of "Joybringer".
I vow to Thee my country just has to be the alternative national anthem ! The present one goes back to Victoria times with " bring her victorious, happy and glorious etc. referring to the British Empire.
Reading Blake’s poem and the words “Chariots of Fire” should have triggered memories of the great movie by that name which first introduced me to “Jerusalem “ whose music concludes that stirring movie.
There is so much misunderstanding about Jerusalem. Its necessary to understand Blakes intentions: he was a proto-socialist, and the poem should be seen in that light. It was intended as a swipe at the reality of England as he saw it, compared with the imperialist view of England as Gods Own Country. It seeks to show the ugly truth against the romantic and nationalistic myth. This isnt just my opinion: and reputable biographer of Blake (both modern and contemporary) make this plain. It is very much an anthem to trade unionists even now.
I think that's what would make it an excellent anthem. Rather than glorifying a leader or the supposed wonders of the country it's an invocation to build a better, fairer country.
Jerusalem was my school hymn, though we probably only sang it once a year! Otherwise, I associate it with when my cousin has taken me to her Women's Institute meetings, they sing it every time!
It is so funny that Scarlett wants to get in your lap. I love the fact you care so much for her and incorporate her in you very interesting videos. Thank you for them and I send you hugs for your precious pet. Greetings from Belgium 🇧🇪.
Its England's National Anthem, the England cricket team come out to it in England, it was my school tune when I was 11 and yes it still makes me cry and what its about to me striving to make a better place where we live, its a special sound for the English.
"The dark satanic mills" reference is, as you said, most commonly taken to be to the production plants of the nascent industrial revolution. Buildings huge to contemporary eyes often blackened by the soot from both the steam engines powering them but also from the densely packed housing around them all of which would have been heated by coal. The overall impression of poorly lit, noisy and often dangerous environments, belching smoke and steam was indeed hellish, especially to the country folk often drawn to these centres of industry by the promise of better pay and conditions. Bear in mind, however, that the life of a poor country worker was not some bucolic idyll but one of constant backbreaking work in all weathers often for little reward beyond mere subsistence. For many, little had, in practice, changed since the days of feudal serfdom. So the promise of regular pay 'just' for working 10 hours, six days a week was attractive. Some readers make a more metaphorical interpretation of the phrase taking it to refer to the established churches whom Blake regarded as tools of orthodoxy maintaining the existing social order rather than aspiring to greater things. It must be noted that the expression "dark satanic mills" was quickly adopted in its literal sense as a scourge to attack the exploitative practices of the early industrial age and still crops up in discussions of employment practices both historical and contemporary. Overall, the poem, and song, reflect an aspiration that a 'New Jerusalem' (a metaphor for heaven or a utopian society) be built in England to replace the imperfect society in which we live. It is popular not only for the message but for the use of language that is both direct yet powerfully stirring often drawing from Biblical sources; "Bring me my chariot of fire", for example referring to the chariot that carried Elijah to heaven (2 Kings). It helps that, unlike some other songs (I'm looking at you, Star Spangled Banner), it is pretty easy to sing even for the ranks of a rugby crowd!
I think Blake was a romantic poet and his words hark back to an idealised pre-industrialised England to which he wished us to return. As others have said, Jerusalem doesn't really have any mileages as a national anthem outside of England as Scotland and Wales have their own anthems, with which they are perfectly happy. As far as Jerusalem is concerned, I find the 1st verse is OK, but what really stirs me is the last part of the 2nd verse, "And nor shall my sword sleep in my hand till we have built Jerusalem in England's green and pleasant land." An invocation to work and fight to make England a better place for all who live here.
Jerusalem: Wonderful, moving song, specifically for England, unofficial anthem. It really is for sporting events where the clamour for this comes into play. The Jocks, Micjs and Taff's all have their own songs before Rugby and Association Football matches (and terrific they all are too) but England are stuck singing God Save the Queen, now King of course which is the British National Anthem. Before each days play of a Test Match in England we play Jerusalem but I think Cricket is the only sport in which we do... You should check out the National Anthems of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the 6 Nations at home fixtures... They are all fabulous.
The Jerusalem referenced by Blake is about the New Jerusalem in Chapter 21 of the Book of Revelation, and not the current Jerusalem in Israel. *Revelation 21:2-7* "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children"
If anyone is interested, I have uploaded the Book of Revelation to my channel. Chapter 21 is here if anyone wants to listen to it...(I could do with a few views and subscribers!)
Jerusalem is about England only and is very heartfelt in England! Yes some of us do cry but all in England love it! Check out the start of the London Olympics where you will hear the anthems of all the four nations and then our National Anthem!
@@eamonnsaunders7066 oh man, thanks for disturbing me I was watching the Olympic ceremony 😊 Mary Poppins has just banished chitty chitty bang bangs child catcher , forget jaws and goldfinger they ain't a patch on that guy.
The flower is a daffodil which is the national flower of Wales (my mob) , we tend to wave inflatable ones during international sports and the like, however this a trend of recent years.When I was young we used to instead wave gaint leeks( another symbol of Wales) made of crepe paper that I kid not, could easily be over ten foot in length.
I can’t speak for all schools, but the British members of my team tell me that their schools sang Jerusalem at Morning Assembly each day. And I believe the Women’s Institute still sings it to open monthly meetings. They are so associated with it that they like to remind people that they are more than “Jam and Jerusalem”. So there is a definite nostalgia vibe associated with it. And William Blake was an artist and poet, so that’s pretty champion.
Contrary to the commentator on the video the song Jerusalem is not actually a hymn. It exhorts all patriotic English people to work towards building a 'New Jerusalem' in England's green and pleasant land. The idea being that you love your country and wish to make it the most wonderful place it could possibly be. Maybe an English message similar to John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech 'Ask not what your country can do for you'. It is aspirational, patriotic but inclusive. Its mythology references Jesus, yet, the new Jerusalem can be supported by Jews, Muslims and others.
8:48 The daffodil is the national flower of Wales. The leek is the main emblem, and they're traditionally worn and eaten on St David's Day, a tradition that goes back to medieval times, but the daffodil is often worn (but not eaten!) as a less pungent alternative. The substitution isn't arbitrary, as the Welsh words are closely linked... leek = Cennin/Cenhinen, and daffodil = Cenhinen Pedr, literally "St Peter's leek". Don't ask me how St Peter got into the equation, though :)
The words to 'Jerusalem' come from the poem 'After Milton' by William Blake. The Milton he was referring too was John Milton the 17th Century English Puritan poet and author of 'Paradise Lost'. The Puritan's saw England as a new Jerusalem, a shining city on a hill, where justice and law would triumph. Blake as a romantic poet living in the times of the early industrial revolution saw Britain and the dreams of the Puritans corrupted by commercial gain and greed. Hence the Satanic mills replacing the pure pastoral blessed lands. Blake was an interesting character in his own right, often suffering from bouts of depression and writing many other famous poems often taught in British schools, another famous poem is 'Tyger, Tyger' ( Eighteenth century spelling for Tiger).
Its open to interpretation, to most people it is how England is a holy and beautiful land. The second part is how we fight and defeat adversity as we have throughout history. It's also sang as the English anthem before we play rugby. God save the king is the National Anthem of the UK .
"Jerusalem" is popular on account of its aspirational patriotism and soaring melody. It has been sung in public school chapels, churches and cathedrals in England for decades. There are those of a republican feeling in the UK, who would want to see the Monarchy abolished... if it were, Jerusalem would gain traction in its candidacy for national anthem, though its reference to England without Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland would upset the people of those countries. Also: Jerusalem cannot be shortened to one verse/stanza, whereas "God save the Queen" can be. (The arrangement you heard on this recording is not the most often used....)
It is my school song - never a public school, although it is now private. 'Among those dark, satanic mills' seems to fit well for a school endowed for Manchester orphans.
As someone else has suggested, there is a wonderful film called Chariots of Fire that you might want to check out. It’s set in the 1924 Paris Olympics, and Jerusalem features in it.
Th e Benjamin Britten arrangement is understood to ne Her Majesty's favourite. It begins pianissimo as a prayer and then grows to full power for the second verse. There was an excellent history of Jerusalem on the Bbc... and it may be on youtube...
@@englishfuguefan At the very end when singing 'pleasant land', some sing it high to harmonise with the low. That's the only way I can describe it without knowing the correct terminology. x
This was perhaps the last year it felt we were living in a truly great country. We'd had an amazing summer, the olympics defied all expectations and were considered one of the most successfully produced, hosted and run in modern times with a truly enduring legacy, we were climbing out of the slump of the 2008 economic crash and their was optimism everywhere. I was there in Hyde Park with family and friends and the overwhelming sense of companionship, togetherness and pride was exhilarating. Hearing patriotic songs being sung en mass around you with such conviction creates an adrenalin wave that fills your heart and becomes emotionally charged - That was the proudest time in my life to be a Brit. Of course every peak means downward slopes and spirals to pits and troughs and things are not as sunny as they were back in 2012. It's what makes life interesting I guess but we do have a habit of overcoming adversity and triumphing over the obstacles in our way - either put their by ourselves or from outside influences. These songs bring us collectively together through the bad times and the good - they give us a sense of our history, a grounding that whatever comes we will overcome and when we are triumphant they re-enforce our belief that we deserve our place on the world stage as a force for good. It's why I fear for all the good things that a united Europe brings the bland homogeny of it will ultimately destroy itself. There isn't a sense of pride by just being European but you can be proud of your own nation so nationalism will always triumph in the end - for good or ill.
I’ve just come across your RU-vid channel and as an Englishman I’m enchanted by your curiosity about the UK/England and the oddities that we don’t give much thought to over here. I occasionally want to shout at the screen to put you right about some of your questioning. Perhaps you should come over here sometime or have a contact here to help you out when you’re making a video! As far as Jerusalem is concerned, I wouldn’t say there’s a great movement to make it the National Anthem of England or the UK but it’s a stirring tune, most often heard these days at the Last Night of the Proms. Bear in mind that the recording you use was in 2012 which was the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee so likely to be a more special year. I don’t know what happens now but when I was a school many years ago we used to sing Jerusalem. William Blake was a bit of a visionary poet and used the idea of Christ visiting England as a hope that society would become better in a time when things were changing from an agricultural to an industrial economy. And don’t forget that when America was formed and you were stealing our songs you weren’t to far removed from British culture. Anyway, carry on being curious!
Scarlet showed the proper respect by standing during the National Anthem ;-) I'm not particularly patriotic but I do find Jerusalem quite moving. And it's always fun at these events counting the Union Flags that are upside down...
This was my late Mom's favourite hymn. So many times I sat with her and watched the "last night of the proms" and listen to her sing along with so much love.
In the absence of a dedicated anthem just for the English (as opposed to God Save the Queen, which is the anthem for the whole of the UK), supporters of the English national sports squads have adopted their own songs. English cricket supporters (known as the Barmy Army) have adopted Jerusalem. Rugby Union supporters sing Swing Low Sweet Chariot. Football supporters sing either 3 Lions on the Shirt or (for some reason known only to them) a song called Vindaloo.
"God save the queen", was originally the English national anthem. It then became the UK anthem, leaving England without their own unique anthem. Jerusalem is about building an idea, rather than an actual bricks and mortar place. If you watch one of the versions with pictures of England, the rest will make more sense. The "Dark Satanic Mills" is more a social commentary about how life was "better" before industrialisation - like Tolkien's LotR was too. I suppose (?) it appeals because it's about principles, ideas and soft power (with a bit of nostalgia), rather than the standard "we will kick everyones arse/we are great, you suck" type anthems................
A wonderful weave of traditional ideas and feelings with a quite radical vision and striving for a better, greener more equal society ... How very English! 🙂 I'm not at all conventionally patriotic, but always find Jerusalem stirring.
@@marconatrix You probably are "conventionally patriotic", but don't realise. The Nationalistic have tried to justify themselves by calling it patriotism, and if you repeat a lie enough .......
"Hi Jock, where are you from, my friend ? " SCOTLAND and Proud ! "Hi Patrick, where are you from, my friend? " IRELAND and Proud ! "Hi Taffy, where are you from, my friend? " WALES and Proud ! " Hi Kevin, where are you from, my friend ? " Thr UK Man. No Borders Man.......
@@Isleofskye " Hi Kevin, where are you from, my friend ? " Sussex and proud. Nothing wrong with being proud, that's patriotism. Nationalism is like Americans are, with their 'Merica!! attitude.
Hello M8. The point I was making was ENHANCING your point. I am a very patriotic Englishman and love almost every aspect of it, even Beachy Head :) I was demonstrating how patriotic The Irish, Scots and Welsh are by saying theor own Countries and yet instead of, like me, saying ENGLAND, you said "The UK" :) Good Luck.. I am from Kent and will soon be re-visiting East amd,particularly , West Sussex which I love.
Until you said many cry when they heard Jerusalem, i thought it was just me. something in my soul stirs and the patriotic emotion of the song. It's uncontrollable.
Blake was a mystic with an intense love, you can see it in his drawings. Seeing the darkness of the Industrial Revolution on a green and pleasant land was too much for him.
“I Vow to Thee My Country” is a great song too. And rather patriotic. I’m pretty sure it’s somewhat universally used though so you have probably heard it before. There’s also a sample make (same tune used) for the rugby World Cup anthem (obviously different words) Also we are the only kingdom (country) to have a national anthem (god save the Queen, obviously lol) but Scotland and Wales also have anthems but they are unofficial (you could say Cornwall has one too I guess) Northern Ireland however does not.
You've got the right thing. When the text and music was brought together it was of it's time when the British Empire spread around most of the world hence Great Britain. The general meaning is around Great Britain being 'Gods country' and having a divine right. It isn't the national anthem but rather a nationalist sentiment that resonants with those holding more traditional values. I have to say it makes me cry every time I sing it but I'm part of an older generation when we had a religious assembly every morning in school (that was typical in my day even non---church schools) and this would feature regularly as a hymn. 'God Save the Queen' is our national anthem and I've heard that setting at the Proms before. Another meaningful piece, especially given the age of Her Majesty.
" time when the British Empire spread around most of the world hence Great Britain." Nope....... It's Great Britain because it's the largest of the British isles. eg: Greater London/Manchester, Greater crested tit, etc ....... ie: it's bigger, not better.
@@kevinshort3943 Originally 'Great Britain' was in contrast to 'Little Britain' i.e. Brittany, so called because it was colonised by Ancient Brits as the Roman Empire was collapsing.
I am also torn between my emotional reaction to the song and a rational analysis of its origins and peculiarly English exceptionalism. It is a beautiful piece of text and music, but not suited to a modern-day England. Let's stop living in a mythical past.
@@expatexpat6531 My God, you are miserable. Would "We are all slightly below average and a little bit racist (but not as bad as the French)" be your English anthem?
Jerusalem has been used by both main parties in the UK as a rallying cry. But most famously it is used by the Women's Institute. Who may have got it from the WSPU ( Suffragettes). Glastonbury Abbey had a tree said to have grown from where Joseph of Aramethia planted his staff in the ground.
one of my favorite hymns (set to tune jerusalem) O Day of Peace Lyrics [Verse 1] O day of peace that dimly shines Through all our hopes and prayers and dreams Guide us to justice, truth and love Delivered from our selfish schemes [Verse 2] May swords of hate fall from our hands Our hearts from envy find release Till by God's grace our warring world Shall see Christ promised reign of peace [Verse 3] Then shall the wolf dwell with the lamb Nor shall the fierce devour the small As beasts and cattle calmly graze A little child shall lead them all [Verse 4] Then enemies shall learn to love All creatures find their true accord The hope of peace shall be fulfilled For all the earth shall know the Lord
It’s in some English peoples mind the unofficial anthem including mine. Some prefer Land of Hope and Glory. Englands Cricket and Rugby teams use Jerusalem has the English anthem.