A MUSICIAN who won a competition to compose a new national anthem more than a decade ago has hit out at proposals to make Flower of Scotland the country's official song.
Composer and music therapist William Jackson, from Portobello in Edinburgh, said the debate over Scotland's anthem should have been resolved after his self-penned Land of Light was declared the winner of an international competition in 1999.
The song was subsequently performed during a number of high-profile events including the Edinburgh Tattoo in 2000, the Queen Mother's birthday celebrations in Edinburgh and for Prince Charles when he visited the Scottish Parliament, but Mr Jackson said it had ultimately been forgotten.
"It was well covered at the time and the song's been performed a lot, but it's just been kind of forgotten about," he said.
"I think Flower of Scotland is a great song and a wonderful sporting anthem, but I always thought a proper anthem for any country shouldn't have to negatively talk about their neighbour."
Mr Jackson's work was shortlisted from more than 240 entries worldwide, including submissions by some of Scotland's best known composers. The judges then unanimously backed it as their winner.
The 'Song for Scotland' competition was organised by the Herald & times Group's previous owner, SMG.
It was launched on St Andrew's Day in 1998 with Mr Jackson revealed as the winner on Burn's Night 1999.
He said he wanted to compose an anthem that was optimistic and forward-looking.
He said: "I made a list of all the things that I thought Scotland was famous and known for - inventiveness in science, education, all its the discoveries, and included as much as I could in a three minute song.
"I wanted to look at Scotland in a positive way and look towards the future instead of 'we fought England in that battle and we beat them'. That's not what Scotland is all about now, it's all about the youth, and the future and being optimistic, so that was my angle on it.
"Flower of Scotland is a good song that has stood the test of time, but it is more of a sporting anthem. I don't think you would ever dissuade people from singing it at rugby matches, nor should we try - I think it fits the bill there - but there's different anthems for difference purposes and I think it's still possible to have an official anthem."
The debate was revived this month when MSPs were asked to endorse a petition to recognise Flower of Scotland, written by the late Roy Williamson of The Corries in the 1960s, as the nation's official anthem.
MSPs on the committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government to ask whether it would consider undertaking a consultation on an official national anthem for Scotland.
Mr Jackson, 59, is currently working as a music therapist in Ireland but he has travelled all over the world, especially in North America, performing and teaching Scottish music.
He spent 10 years living in North Carolina, where he said Land of Light was played at the opening ceremony of several Highland Games.
Mr Jackson said: "They performed the anthem for each of the Celtic nations and for Scotland they performed Land of Light. I had to stand there thinking 'people in Scotland don't know or care about this', but you just have to take it with a pinch of salt.
"If there was a competition again, maybe I would enter it in again. Whatever happens, happens, but I just couldn't sit there while the debate was revived and and think 'why don't they remember?'. It's like Groundog Day."
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