The Anthem Philatelist

Hongkong Post set the New Guinness World Record for the 'Largest Stamp Mosaic'. The Guinness World Record has confirmed that the Stamp Mosaic, measuring 6.45m wide and 3.97m high, with over 69,000 used stamps donated by Hongkong Post staff and 98 overseas postal administrations, created by Hongkong Post on 30 August 2005 is the largest stamp mosaic in the world. This extraordinary and unprecedented result was achieved through the dedication and teamwork of all participating staff and their families . This successful attempt has gained another World Record entry for Hong Kong and the avant-garde initiative demonstrates not only the team spirit and creativity of Hongkong Post, but also the solidarity among postal administrations. In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Post Office Trading Fund, for the first time in Hong Kong, over 1,480 Hongkong Post staff and their families participated in affixing the sta mps and created this gigantic stamp mosaic during their spare t...

Thailand is one of a few monarchies (like Denmark and Sweden) that have a separate anthem for the royal family, as opposed to the national anthem for the citizens. The Thai royal anthem is performed during state occasions and public meetings, as well as when a high-ranking member of the royal family is present for a function. "Phleng Sansasoen Phra Barami" (A Salute to the Monarch), the royal anthem also served as the third anthem of Siam (as Thailand was then known) from 1888 until the 1932 coup. The music was com posed by a Russian musician, Pyotr Schurovsky for lyrics written by Pr ince Narisara Nuvadtivongs. The lyrics were revised by King Rama VI in 1913. Above is a stamp of Prince Vajiravudh who later became King Rama VI. He was the sixth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1910 until his death. Vajiravudh is known for his efforts to create and promote Siamese nationalism. His reign was characterized by Siam's movement further towards democracy a...

I've always wondered why some Japanese tourist "like" to visit some "ugly" places in our country. The are amazed at the dirt and squalor of Smokey mountains, entertained by the "moon-crater"- like quality of our roads, and admire our filthy cheap products. On a trip to a beach resort in Mactan, we had to traverse a bumpy, rocky off-road trail. A Japanese companion mused, "We never have these kind of roads in Japan. This is enjoyable! Like riding bump cars!"     In order to fully appreciate beauty, one has to experience the ugly. One canno t really fathom ugliness without a first-hand encounter with beauty. I had this experience when I visited Kobe, Japan- a mesmerizingly beautiful city. Imagine, a ruin - a sordid reminder of the earthquake that struck Kobe several years ago- turned into a Museum and a Memorial park. This is the only part of Kobe that is "dirty" because it was never rehabilitated after the quake. The dilapidated st...

In 1852, Costa Rica did not have a national anthem. However, when the United States and the United Kingdom accredited their diplomatic representatives in Costa Rica, President Juan Rafael Mora Porras, wanted to host a welcome ceremony for the missions. A decision was made that a national anthem for Costa Rica should be composed for the occasion, and the president requested Mr. Manuel María Gutiérrez , Director of the Costa Rican National Army Orchestra, to compose the music. It was told that Mr. Gutierrez would be incarcerated for a month if he refused. Unfortunately Don Manuel Maria Gutierrez ran out of time and as a consequence was imprisoned at the Cuartel de Armas, where he looked through a small window out onto the Plaza Mayor. Feeling inspiration, he was able to finish the composition and on the 11 of June, 1852, at the Palacio Nacio nal, the national anthem of Costa Rica was heard for the first time alongside those of the United States and England. In 1903, a contest was held f...

The lyrics of the Himno Nacional Argentino (the national anthem of Argentina) were written by Vicente López y Planes, and the music was composed by Blas Parera. This song was adopted as the national anthem on May 11, 1813, three years after the May Revolution (Revolución de Mayo). May 11 is therefore Anthem Day in Argentina. On May 24, 1812, Vicente López attended a play presented at the Casa de la Comedia, Buenos Aires, titled El 25 de Mayo, which retold the story of the May Revolution that happened two years earlier. The play, written by Luis Ambrosio Morante, concluded with an anthem sung by the actors. López felt inspired and that same night wrote the first verses of an anthem that would replace Morante's, for which Blas Parera had composed the music. The General Constituent Assembly, the autonomous government of the time, approved the new anthem as Marcha Patriótica (Patriotic March) on May 11, 1813, and commanded Parera to compose a new music. Some authors say that Parera ac...

After independence from Spain in the early nineteenth century, there were many songs popular with the public that were an attempt to be a national anthem, but none succeeded. Finally, in 1853, President Santa Ana announced a nation-wide contest for the lyrics for a new national anthem. One of the entrants, an accomplished poet named Francicso González Bocanegra , was originally not interested in running. However, his fiancée was confident in his skills and, under false pretenses, lured him into a room of her parent's house and locked him inside, refusing to let him out until he wrote an entry for the contest. After four hours, using the pictures in the room of the epics of Mexican history as his inspiration, Bocanegra finally won his freedom by slipping a ten verse poem under the door. (Only the first, fifth, sixth, and tenth verses officially make up the anthem.) His fiancée and her father approved of the submission, and so did the judging committee, his entry won unanimously. Af...

José Reyés was inspired to make this anthem after noticing a published copy of the Argentine anthem. Reyés believed that his country should also have an anthem, so he invited his friend Emilio Prud'homme to write the lines while he composed the music. Soon after Reyés managed to get his anthem published as well; it was well-received by the public and soon grew in popularity. The title of the national anthem, " Quisqueyanos valientes" (Valient Sons of Quisqueye) , refers to the original native inhabitants' word for Santo Domingo island.) A motion in the National Congress was made in 1897 by deputy Rafael Garcia Martinez to give the song official status, but the president refused to sign the bill into law, possibly because of Prud'homme's disagreement with President Heureaux's dictatorial government. It wasn't until 1934, many years after Heureaux's death, that President Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina officially adopted the song as the nationa...

Adopted in 1845, "Orientales, la Patria o la tumba!" is a typical example of a Latin American epic anthem. The original poem had eleven verses. These type of anthems are very operatic in nature, not only does the opening of this anthem resemble Verdi's style, the chorus and the solo part resembles a Donizetti or Bellini opera. The version of the anthem usually performed starts with the chorus, then the first verse, then the chorus again, however, most lines are repeated several times within the song, making the song quite long (another feature of "Latin American epic anthems"), Uruguay's anthem is often performed at well over 3 minutes, four or five minute performances of the commonly sung version are not uncommon. Both the lyricist (Francisco Esteban de Figueroa) and composer (Jose Debali) , who composed the music several decades after the words were composed, also wrote the anthem for Paraguay. "Orientales", mentioned in the lyrics and the ti...

The Pitcairn Islands are a remote British colony in the South Pacific, famous for being the site where the mutineers from the HMS Bounty landed. The islands' population have always been very small (currently numbering around 50), yet, aside from the official anthem of God Save the Queen (which is not heard often on the islands), there have been, and continue to be, many unofficial anthems in use in the colony.  In Diana Jolliffe Belcher's 1871 book "The Mutineers of the Bounty and their Decendants in Pitcairn and Norfolk Island" it is reported that a local poem by Rev. G. H. Nobbs was set to the tune "Rousseau's Dream" and was considered by Pitcairners to be their anthem at the time. It is not known for how long this was considered as their anthem, however. Also, in 1856, several Pitcairners resettled on Norfolk Island as Pitcairn had become too small.    T he local anthem now in use on Norfolk Island (under Australian administration), Come Ye Ble...

The National anthem of Greece, " Ymnos Eis Tin Eleftherian " (Ode to Freeedom), is based on the "Hymn to the Freedom", a large 158 verse poem written by Dionysios Solomos , a distinguished poet from Zakynthos Island. It was inspired by the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottoman Empire. During 1828, the eminent musician from Kerkyra Island Nikolaos Mantzaros composed the music for Solomos' hymn. Although King Othon (Otto) decorated both of them for their work (1845 and 1849), he did not replace the Royal Anthem of that time with the Solomos/Mantzaros hymn. The anthem was a musical derivative from the German one, with a text glorifying Othon and his dynasty. After the overthrow of the dynasty, the new King George I and the Greek establishment decided to look for a clearly Greek work, both with respect to the poetry and the music. The "Hymn to the Freedom" was readily there - extremely popular since the Revolution times, often recited or sung dur...

At the end of the 19th century, "A Portuguesa," was written by the republicans Alfredo Keil (music) and Henrique Lopes de Medonca (words), upset over the British ultimatum to Portugal regarding Africa. Anywhere there was protests against the monarchy as a result, "A Portuguesa" could be heard. The song still echoes the original intent, the verses and especially the chorus speak of a call to arms, the third verse speaks of "insults" and "embarrassment" (which is how the Portuguese saw the British ultimatum), and the original last line of the chorus read "Contra os bretões marchar, marchar" (Against the British we march, we march!). With the success of the Republicans in ousting the monarchy and replacing them with a democratic government, "A Portuguesa" was approved as a national anthem shortly after in 1911, it is the first verse and chorus that is usually presented as the anthem. In 1956, there were a number of variations of...

"Pak Sarzamin Shad Bad" or "Blessed be the Sacred Land" is Pakistan's National Anthem. A committee to select a national anthem for Pakistan was formed a year after independence in December 1948. A member of the committee, Ahmed Ghulamali Chagla, was asked to produce a composition. Mr. Chagla's background in music involves study in both western and eastern music, and characteristics of eastern music can be found in the anthem. After some "test runs" which included performances for the Prime Minister, for a visiting head of state, for the Prime Minister's visit to the United States, and finally for the committee itself. It was then approved by the anthem committee in August 1950 and gained official recognition in December 1953. The words were composed by another member of the committee, Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez Jullandhuri, and officially approved in August 1954. Ahmed Ghulamali Chagla was the musician who wrote the score for the national anthem of Pa...

Hangzhou is a sub-provincial city located in the Yangtze River delta in the People's Republic of China. Located 180 kms south west of Shanghai, it has a registered population of 6.4 million people. As one of the most renowned and prosperous city of China for the last 1000 years, Hangzhou is also well known for its beautiful natural scenery. It is one of the seven ancient capitals of China and the harmonic blend of the old and modern is impressive. I was captivated by the natural beauty of the West Lake, where I was treated to a unique visual cornucopia of dance and theater. It was something I had never witnessed before, and although similar to Singapore's "seaside spectacle", this one was truly unique. I am referring to the West Lake theatrical presentation. The whole 6 square kilometer lake was t he stage, and the characters, a cast of hundreds, either walked, danced or flew on the lake or on objects on the lake. It portrayed important events in China's elabora...

Chile's first national anthem, commisioned by the government in 1819, was composed by Manuel Robles and written by Bernardo de Vera y Pintado and was first performed the following year. Falling into unpopularity by 1828, the government requested that Ramon Carnicer compose new music for the anthem, using Bernardo de Veras's text. Then in 1847, the government ordered the young poet Eusebio Lilio to write a new text to Carnicer's melody, to replace the old lyrics of de Vera Pintado, which contained violent references against Spain. While Lilio wrote new lyrics, he kept the chorus from the original anthem. Today, the chorus and fifth verse of Lilio's poem make up the official National Anthem of Chile. Following the coup d' etat by Augusto Pinochet in 1973, the military junta dictated that two verses would be used along with the chorus, the fifth verse retained, and the third verse, which extolled Chile's army, was then added as the official second verse. When demo...

To commemorate the official opening of the Malay Heritage Center on 31 May 2005, Singapore Post issued a set of four stamps depicting elements of the rich Malay heritage. Despite its rapid modernization and economic advancement, the Singapore Government places great importance on the preservation and appreciation of the country's cultural roots and ethnic identities. A visitor in Singapore will always be impressed with the harmonious conglomeration of ethnic Chinese, Malay and Hindu races, and the blitzing development which catapulted Singapore to first world status in a generation. The heritage has been successful in its role in creating a sense of belonging to the nation. Featured in the 60 cents and 2$ stamp are the original music score of " Majulah Singapura ", Singapore's National Anthem by Malay composer Zubir Said , and the replica of the Bugis Prahu , a shipping vessel used by Malay fishermen in the past. The grace and beauty of Malay performing arts are c...

You heard it- not Hayashi Hiromori, Japan's national anthem composer, but Ludwig van Beethoven, the aurally-challenged musical genius from Germany. While in Osaka, I ask our tourist guide, Hirumi, if their national anthem or composer was featured in a stamp, and the answer was a blatant no. This really baffled me. Japan, with their fervent patriotism and "Kimigayo", supposedly the oldest anthem in the world composed during the 10th century- and not one single stamp to honor it. Which led me to think.... of a joke. What's hard and long and stinks all over? Beethoven's last movement..ha ha ha. Sorry idol, just a joke. Incidentally, Japan is an anally obsessed nation. You'll never find any country in the world with citizens obsessed with their toilets. There's a toilet with warmed pads, sound-proof toilets and a toilet that sings the national anthem- you have to stand up when you're doing your thing...yeah really?! Hayashi Hiromori wrote the music to t...

Brouhaha -"A confused disturbance far greater than its cause merits". The outburst of sentiments caused by balladeer, Martin Nievera's vocal rendition of the Philippine national anthem during the Pacquiao-Hatton boxing match in Las Vegas last May 3, 2009, is unnecessary. It stems from the National Historical Institute's (NHI) claim that the singer broke the law by altering the patriotic song's interpretation which should be based on Julian Felipe's original score. On a personal note, one should not be punished for singing the national anthem with pride and from the heart- which Mr. Nievera did. Unlike the visual arts, music is a dynamic art and subject to various interpretations depending on the emotion of its interpreter. I believe this law should be revised. To avoid this incident, the Pacman is volunteering to sing the National Anthem in the next fight. Julian Felipe was born in Cavite City, Cavite on July 28, 1861. A dedicated music teacher and composer,...

"Indonesia Raya" , Indonesia's national anthem, first appeared as a Nationalist Party song in 1928 and published in "Sin Po", a weekly Chinese-Indonesian newspaper of that same year. The Party was working for Indonesian independence from Netherlands. The anthem composer, Wage Rudolph Soepratman , introduced the song in a youth convention in Batavia (now Jakarta), to support the idea of a united Indonesia. Under Dutch colonial rule, the anthem was forbidden to be sung, and after a successful independence declaration in 1945, the song was adopted as the national anthem. This miniature sheet featuring the national anthem was issued on October 2008 in Jakarta to commemorate the country's hosting of the 22nd Asian International Stamp Exhibition.

My first visit to the Singapore Philatelic Museum was a truly memorable experience. This museum- Southeast-Asia's first and only philatelic museum- is located in 23-B Coleman St., Singapore was formerly part of an Anglo-Chinese School completed in 1904. In 1970's the building became a Methodist Book Room until it was restored to become the present museum.    This museum opened in 19 August 1995 to promote interest in and the appreciation of Singapore's philatelic history. Besides the permanent galleries, the themed galleries offer a host of themed exhibitions throughout the year. In one of these galleries, an exhibit featuring old postcards of Singapore were shown (Panoramic postcard of old Singapore at the bottom most picture).    Displays from private collections of renowned philatelist, travelling exhibitions and themed exhibitions to commemorate new stamp issues are also shown.    There also have a stamp shop where I was able to buy the special comm...

This exhibition souvenir sheet contains a set of four stamps from The Singapore Story issue. This special folder is released in conjunction with Singpex '98 which was held at the Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Center from 23 to 26 July 1998. The stamps depict some of the defining moments in Singapore's history. The stamps feature images from the turbulent years of riots and rallies before the 1955 and 1959 elections, the triumph of self-government, the merger and separation from Malaysia and finally the celebration of independence of a multi-racial nation. The national anthem notes was featured on the 60 cent stamp and some parts of the anthem lyrics and notation on the 1 $ stamp. The anthem composer and author, Zubir Said, had written it on the basis of two words, "Majulah Singapura" or "Onward Singapore". The patriotic song was first performed on 3 December 1959 at the installation of the new head of state and introduction of the state f...

This is a must have for a complete anthem stamp collection. These artistically designed sheets commemorate the centennial of the composing of what later became the national anthem of the Czechoslovak Republic. The title of the anthem, " KDE DOMUV MÙJ? ", is translated, "Where Is My Home?" These are one of the most expensive anthem stamps in existence with market prices ranging from 100-500 Euros. They were printed in very limited quantities: only 12,900 of the 1k sheets and 9,600 of the 2k sheets. Because of their great demand, forgeries are not uncommon. Kde domov můj? (Where is my home?) was written by the composer František Škroup and the playwright Josef Kajetán Tyl as a part of the incidental music to the comedy Fidlovačka aneb Žádný hněv a žádná rvačka (Fidlovačka, or No Anger and No Brawl). It was performed for the first time in the Stavovské divadlo (Estates Theatre) in Prague on December 21, 1834. The original song consists of two strophes . Although J. ...

This stamp from Bhutan is actually an self-adhesive stamp shaped like a record and is playable. When place on a turntable it plays the Bhutanese National Anthem. I bought one from Canada at Ebay 3 years ago. Stamps in mint condition are hard to acquire and are quite expensive. The whole collection consist of 7 embossed record stamps of varying colors and designs. Druk Tsendhen ("The Thunder Dragon Kingdom") is the national anthem of Bhutan. Adopted in 1953, the music is by Aku Tongmi and the words are by Dasho Gyaldun Thinley . Tongmi was educated in India and was recently appointed leader of the military brass band when the need for an anthem rose at the occasion of a state visit from prime minister Nehru of India. His original score was inspired by the Indian and British anthems, as well as the Bhutanese folk tune Thri nyampa med pa pemai thri ("The Unchanging Lotus Throne"). The melody has twice undergone changes by Mr Tongmi's successors as band leaders. ...