Hail to Bermuda

{{Short description|Regional anthem of Bermuda}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2010}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

{{Infobox anthem

| title = Hail to Bermuda

| image = Coat of arms of Bermuda.svg

| image_size = 150px

| caption =

| prefix = Territorial

| alt_title = "This Island's Mine"

| country = Bermuda

| author = Bette Johns

| lyrics_date = 1984

| composer = Bette Johns

| music_date = 1984

| adopted =

| until =

| sound = Hail to Bermuda.ogg

| sound_title = Audio Instrumental

}}

"Hail to Bermuda", also known as "This Island's Mine",{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VF1qAAAAMAAJ&q=%22To+sing+long+live+Bermuda%22+-wikipedia |title=As a Matter of Fact: Know Your Bermuda : Alphabetical Answers to Questions about Bermuda |date=1988 |publisher=Altrusa Club of Bermuda |language=en |pages=91–92}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DfxkAAAAMAAJ&q=%22this+island's+mine%22 |title=The Bermudian |date=1985 |publisher=Bermudian Publishing Company Limited |language=en |page=15}} is the territorial anthem of Bermuda, written and composed by Bette Johns.{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/bermuda/ |title=CIA World Factbook - Bermuda|access-date= 21 August 2019}} The official anthem is the national anthem of the United Kingdom, "God Save the King", as the island is a British overseas territory.

The anthem has been used during competitions where multiple British overseas territories are competing, such as the 2011 Island Games.{{Cite web |date=2011-07-03 |title='Hail To Bermuda, My Island in the Sun' |url=https://bernews.com/2011/07/hail-to-bermuda-my-island-in-the-sun/ |access-date=2022-04-05 |website=Bernews}}

History

The anthem was written and composed by Bette Johns for a competition organised by the government of Bermuda in 1984. A jury selected her entry as the winner, and it was first performed on Bermuda Day, on 24 May 1984.

However, by 1985, the anthem had lost significant attention, with The Bermudian citing difficulties in arranging the song for school choirs, regimental bands and orchestras and a lack of interest in doing so. In response, Senator Gerald Simons and his Community Services staff launched an initiative not to let the song die out, offering a limited budget to anyone skilled enough who would be prepared to arrange the song in time for the 1985 Heritage Month. Professional arranger Paul Christianson, from Washington, US, but with contacts in Bermuda, responded to the appeal, offering to arrange the song for free, as long as the professionals involved were remunerated. The anthem was then orchestrated for various musical acts by Christianson.

Lyrics

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|I

Hail to Bermuda,

My island in the sun.

Sing out in glory

To the nation we've become.

We've grown from heart to heart,{{efn|name=We go|Sometimes written "We go from heart to heart".{{Cite book |last=Waddington |first=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ufWtAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT216 |title=David Waddington Memoirs: Dispatches From Margaret Thatcher's Last Home Secretary |date=2012-07-26 |publisher=Biteback Publishing |isbn=978-1-84954-457-3 |language=en |page=216}}}}

And strength to strength,

The privilege is mine

To sing long live Bermuda,

Because this island's mine!

II

Hail to Bermuda,

My homeland dear to me.

This is my own land

Built on faith

And unity.

We've grown from heart to heart{{efn|name=We go}}

And strength to strength,

For Loyalty is Prime

So sing long live Bermuda,{{efn|Sometimes written "And sing long live Bermuda" or "To sing long live Bermuda".}}

Because this island's mine!{{Cite web |last=Greening |first=Benedict John-Paul William |date=January 2014 |title=Anglo-Bermudian power-sharing and the politics of oligarchy, race and violence during late British decolonisation, 1963-1977 |url=http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/960/1/BenedictGreeningThesis140814.pdf |access-date=2022-04-05 |website=LSE Theses Online |page=12}}

See also

Notes

{{Notelist}}

References

{{Reflist}}