THE composer William Jackson unwittingly underlines the reality of trying to foist a national anthem on the people( "Contest-winning composer says anthem issue already settled by his Land of Light", The Herald, February 2).
His song Land of Light was promoted and performed at occasions where "the great and the good" assembled at formal occasions but this failed to take into account that most important word - namely, "national" - when referring to an anthem.
A national anthem must stir the emotions and reach to the soul of a nation. It must be capable of being sung with genuine feeling and the words should mirror a people not reflect an artistic elite's version of what is politically correct. That is why the people, and not just sports supporters, chose Flower of Scotland. This song not only echoes the Scots penchant for looking backwards but also seeks to exhort a positive future for the nation. This is an anthem with which the people can identify.
I realise that those who cannot see beyond their Unionist beliefs would love to change it but I would suggest they should be wary what they wish for. I am old enough to have been at Murrayfield, not exactly a hotbed of nationalism, when that dreadful dirge God Save the Queen was regularly, roundly booed. The people have already decided.
David Stubley,
22 Templeton Crescent, Prestwick.
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