Music et al!

I am a highly emotional person, though the emotions show for the really weird reasons. One thing that never fails to stir the senses within is shows of patriotism. Okay, patriotism stirs almost everybody. Whats weird about me is that it doesnt have to be my country. Just any country's nationals doing something, typically the singing of patriotic hymns with emotion, for their homeland! Notable among them was Celine Dion singing 'God Bless America' on the first Anniversary of 9/11. And in case you didnt know already, for me, international football matches start with the singing of the national anthem by/for the teams. (An interesting observation here - During WC '03, only a pitisome handfull of Indians cricketers looked interested when the Jana Gana Mana was played. Though, two of them went a step further and emulated their Australian counterparts by keeping their palms on their chests. Talk about ignorance!

Well, a little while ago, I was youtube'ing for 'Casablanca' (which is one of the many movies I badly want to see, God knows when). And there was this scene in Rick's Bar, where the Nazi's are singing their national anthem, and Bogart, feeling overwhelmed with patriotic fervour, asks his buglist to sound the notes for the 'La Marsellaise'. They then team up to sing the anthem in brave defiance of the German anthem, culminating in a singing war between in the bar!

A malayam poem has some evergreen lines that goes, 'When you hear of India, you should feel goosebumps, And if it is Kerala you are hearing off, the blood in your veins should gush!" This were lines written when the the freedom struggle was at its pinacle, and served the struggle well. But it is depressing to thing that after we got what we fought for, we really dont care about using it with pride! But thats not for today.

Today, overcome by the beauty of the French national anthem, I went a surfing for that, ended up surfing for the anthem of most of the countries Iv remember, and winded up judging that the Star Sprangled Banner, is perhaps the best. Yeah, the American national anthem. Even though I am as much an America basher as most of us who've only seen them hegemoniously be frontrunners everywhere would be, I couldnt help feeling touched by this performance by the combined armed forces academies choir! Without superstars, without extreme vocal effects. Just the song, like a song, imo, should be. The song, at its best. I literally found myself clutching my cheeks in awe.

As to other national anthems, I have always been a fan of the arrangement of the German anthem, which almost sounds like a hymn! Little, wonder considering that in its land lies the laboratories of some of Gods best gifts to humanity, Ludwig VanBeethoven, and George Friderik Handel. Though I vaguely remember the music for this anthem is attributed to Mozart, an Austrian. Okay, I know Im going into deeply boring territory now, but if you ever go after National Anthems, scout for the Soviet anthem (which many claim to be the best), and even the Argentine one.

But the best video I stumbled upon today was this. An Englishwoman singing the Jana Gana Mana, much better than we ever did in school. Sometimes, it takes a foreigner to make you feel proud of your nation!

PS: Today may very well go down as one of the days I never forget in my life. Ill explain! Iv always had a long list of exotic career ambitions, none of them having anything to do with what Ill do for a living. One of them was singing Handels 'Messiah' in a good choir, which is arguably the composition with the most mass appeal, if not the best classical composition of all time. And needless to say, like, most of the other items on the list, this was more a wish than a possibility. But tell you what, early this year, by the grace of God, I got the opportunity to join the Madras Musical Association, and the first concert we did was Messiah. After about five months of practicing every tuesday evening, today we are performing. And man, will I not savour every minute of it. See you next week!