The Anthem Philatelist

On 7 June 1897, the Congress of the Dominican Republin passed an act adopting "Himno Nacional" with the original music and revised lyrics as the country's official national anthem; however, then President Ulises Heureaux (1846-1899) vetoed the act because the lyric's author, Prud’Homme, was an opponent of the president and his administration. In 1899, Heureaux was assassinated, and the political disorder that ensued prevented the national anthem's legal adoption until 30 May 1934 when "Himno Nacional" was officially adopted and signed into law. The Spanish name of the Dominican Republic, "República Dominicana", is never used in the anthem's official Spanish lyrics nor is the denonym for Dominicans, "dominicanos". Rather, the indigenous word for the island Hispaniola, "Quisqueya", is used twice and its derivative denonym, "quisqueyanos", is used once. However, research later shows that these ...

I got hold of this wonderful tri-fold stamp set from Suzhou post inside the Humble Administrator's Garden  for 75 Yuan.  The first set of four stamps features the land and waters-capes of the garden, the middle set portrays the art of Suzhou and the miniature set shows an example of the flora of the garden.  The garden had a long history of destruction and modification, changing under several owners  (at least 7 times) along the way until inscribed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997. On the Zhuozhengyuan's site was first built a garden during the Shaoxing period (1131-1162) of the Southern Song Dynasty. Afterwards it changed ownership, and was destroyed or modified continually.  It was the residence and garden of Lu Guimeng , a Tang Dynasty scholar. Later in the Yuan Dynasty it became the Dahong Temple's garden. In 1513 CE, Wang Xiancheng, an Imperial Envoy and poet of the Ming Dynasty created a garden on the site of the dilapidated Dahong Temple whi...

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was composed in the year 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Methodist school teacher. It was originally sung as a church hymn but later became an act of political defiance against the apartheid government. Die Stem van Suid-Afrika is a poem written by C.J. Langenhoven in 1918 and was set to music by the Reverend Marthinus Lourens de Villiers in 1921.[2] Die Stem was the co-national anthem[3] with God Save the King/Queen from 1936 to 1957, when it became the sole national anthem until 1995. The South African government adopted both songs as national anthems from the year 1994, when they were performed at Nelson Mandela's inauguration.[4] They were merged in 1997 to form the current anthem. The new English lyrics were adapted from the last four lines of the first stanza of The Call of South Africa (the English version of Die Stem), and were modified to reflect hope in post-apartheid South African society.

Written in response to a contest calling for a national anthem to be adopted, the first ever playing of the winning entry took place during a lyric-literary meeting taking place at the Colon Theater, the night of Sunday 14 March 1897, as one of the main events of the Central American Exposition, and the author of the music was decorated with a gold medal and honor diploma. (Ovalle had been known previously for setting to music "Himno Popular" (The People's Anthem) by the poet Ramón P. Molina. It is unclear whether the music used for Ovalle's work was the same as the music that was submitted for the national anthem competition.) The author of the lyrics, however, was submitted anonymously, it was not until 1911, when it was discovered that the author was the Cuban poet Jose Joaquin Palma, who on his deathbed was honored with a silver wreath placed on his head, while outside the public and the bands sang the Himno Nacional. The original lyrics were modified slight...

This is a Europa stamp featuring the lyrics of the anthem of the Isle of Man on the tab.  This set is compose of two stamps values of  25p and 30p.  Previously the anthem of the Isle of Man was already feature here .  The anthem composer and lyricist were shown in the stamp.  A Europa stamps are special stamps issued by European postal administrations under the aegis of PostEurop and which have Europe as their central theme. Europa stamps should underline cooperation in the domain of posts, particularly as regards the promotion of philately and contribute to making the public aware of common roots, culture and history of Europe and common goals." In 2002, more than 50 European countries and territories issued Europa Stamps. The first issue dates from 1956 with 6 countries participating. From 1993 all the stamps have "Europa" inserted into the design in small print. For the new millennium in 2000, the common design once more replaced the common theme. T...

The National anthem of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes 1918–1929) was created in December 1918 from the national anthems of the Kingdom's main three constituent historical provinces: Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. In those times the official authorities considered the three nations, Croats, Serbs and Slovenes as one nation with three names. The official language was thus called the Serbo-Croato-Slovene language. Although a law on the national anthem did not exist, the anthems of all three South Slavic nations were unified into a single anthem of the Kingdom. It started with a few measures from the Serbian anthem "Bože pravde", continued with a few lines from the Croatian anthem "Lijepa naša domovino", which were in turn followed by a few lines from the traditional Slovenian anthem "Naprej zastava slave". The anthem finished with some lines from the Serbian anthem again. It was officially used between 1919 and 1941...

"Shche ne vmerla Ukraina" ("Ukraine has not yet perished") is the national anthem of Ukraine again since 1992  Before its re-adaptation a concourse for a national anthem among three patriotic songs was taken place with one of the other songs being Za Ukrainu by Mykola Voronyi.    The lyrics constitute a slightly modified original first stanza of the patriotic poem written in 1862 by Pavlo Chubynsky, a prominent ethnographer from the region of Ukraine's capital, Kiev, and were influenced by the words and themes of Poland's national anthem,  Poland Is Not Yet Lost. In 1863, Mykhailo Verbytsky, a western Ukrainian composer and a Greek-Catholic priest composed music to accompany Chubynsky's text. The first choral performance of the piece was at the Ukraine Theatre in Lviv, in 1864. The song was first the national anthem of the Ukrainian People's Republic, Carpatho-Ukraine and later the independent post-Soviet Ukraine. The stamp above was issued t...

"Zdravljica" was written by France Prešeren , considered as Slovenia's national poet, as a drinking song (in his original manuscript, the layout of the words resemble a wine glass), but also was seen as politically charged piece when it was written in 1844 as it spoke of pan-Slavic nationalism, which was controversial in Austria-Hungary (which Slovenia was part of at the time). It was finally published in 1848, after revolutions in Austria-Hungary lifted the censorship. In 1905, Zdravljica was set to music for the first time, the entire poem had a choral composition composed for it by Stanko Premrl, and this was the composition chosen as the Slovenian anthem in September 1989. Six months later, it was specified that the seventh verse is the official anthem, and this remains to this day. The block above contains the flag and some of the lyrics of the Slovenian national anthem. It was issued on 2001 .

This cover was published in Czechoslovakia in 1948 for its 11th SOKOL Convention. "SOKOL" is a sport organization, Czechoslovak Sokol Community and Prague Sokol were played an important role by events around the foundation of the Czechoslovak Republic. This FDC includes 4 special overstamped stamps with the text:" PRAGUE 1948 Nationwide SOKOL Convention". On the cachet, we can see the words and music of Czechoslovak Anthem "Where is My Home" in Czech language. The size of the cover is 22 x 11 cm / 8.6 x 4.3 inches. The FDC Cover for SOKOL Convention Prague 1948 with Czechoslovak Anthem and for occasional stamps.

Pascual Veiga Iglesias ( April 9 of 1842 - Madrid , July 12 of 1906 ) was a musician, musical director, organist and composer of the National Anthem of Galicia . Veiga started his musical studies as a child in the choir of the Cathedral Mindoniense. At thirteen he began to teach music theory and harmony in the chapel of the cathedral. In 1964 he moved to La Coruña and served as organist of the Church of Our Lady of the Field. I n 1865 he was appointed vice president of Section Music Society Youth Fraternity. His dedication to music led him to win a prize in 1877 with the Glee Club Bragantino. He left year later, and founded the Glee Club Corunna. In 1880 he was invited by the Society of Floral Games of Pontevedra , and premiered his most emblematic work, the Alborada Gallega. Two years later he founded El Nuevo Orfeon, which soon became known as el Orfeon Echo, and that continues today. In 1889 he founded the Choral Society called Corunna Number 4, a group that won the gold medal a...

The Polish National-Territorial Region (Polish: Polski Kraj Narodowo-Terytorialny) was an autonomous region in Lithuania, self-proclaimed by the local Poles on 6 September 1990. The region included areas surrounding Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, where Poles formed the majority (60–90%). This Eastern part of Lithuania had been part of Poland (from 1922) before being attached to Lithuania under the Mutual Assistance Treaty with the Soviet Union in 1939. The autonomy region with capital in Naujoji Vilnia included 4,930 km² and population of 215,000 (66% of them Poles). The Polish autonomous movement was related to the Yedinstvo movement and had tacit support from Moscow (thus, when following the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania the Soviets applied a blockade against Lithuania, the areas of Eastern Lithuania with significant minority population were mostly spared of the blockade, with the aim of gaining minorities' support for Moscow). In the region, the Polish Re...

Libya, Libya, Libya (also known as Ya Beladi, "Oh my country!"), composed by Mohammed Abdel Wahab , is the new national anthem of Libya. He also composed the music for the anthems of Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. The anthem was used until the monarchy was abolished in a coup by Moammar Qadaffi in 1969, when it was replaced with a new anthem. It was originally the national anthem from independence in 1951 until 1969 when King Idris I was overthrown by a Coup d'état led by Muammar al-Gaddafi. Gaddafi adopted the Egyptian marching song Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest) as the national anthem of the newly proclaimed Libyan Arab Republic. The anthem was a Muslim call to prayer and a statement of faith composed by Abdalla Shams El-Din and lyrics written by Mahmoud El-Sherif. During the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libya, Libya, Libya was declared the new national anthem and restored by the transitional government. Above is a first day cover of the Libyan anthem composer Moham...

The national anthem of the Republic of Kazakhstan or National Anthem of the Republic of Kazakhstan was the title of the old national anthem of Kazakhstan, when it was adopted as the anthem from 1992 to early 2006. Upon independence in December 1991, the melody of the Kazakh SSR anthem, composed by Mukan Tulebayev , Eugeny Brusilovsky and Latif Khamidi , was retained; and new lyrics were adopted in 1992, written by Muzafar Alimbayev, Kadyr Myrzaliyev, Tumanbai Moldagaliyev and Zhadyra Daribayeva. On January 7, 2006, "My Kazakhstan", written in 1956, was adopted as the new anthem, with modified lyrics.   We are a valiant people, sons of honor, And all we've sacrificed to gain our freedom. Emerging from malicious grip of fate, from hell of fire, We scored a victory of glory and success. Chorus: Soar high up in the sky, oh, eagle of freedom, Call up to harmony, agreement and accord! For hero's might and strength is in the nation, Just as the unity is nation's raz...

Mila Rodino ("Dear Motherland") is based on the music and text of the song Gorda Stara Planina ("Stately Stara Planina") composed by a 22-year old student, Tsvetan Radoslavov , as he left home to fight in the Serbo-Bulgarian War in 1885. Stara Planina is the traditional Bulgarian name of the Balkan mountains, extending 560 km from East Serbia, through central Bulgaria to the Black Sea. Radoslavov was born in Svishtov in 1863, and he later graduated in philosophy in Leipzig. His original song, Gorda Stara Planina was adapted by the composer Dobri Hristov in 1905 and became the national anthem of Bulgaria in 1963, replacing the previous anthem, "Balgariyo Mila" (Dear Bulgaria) composed by Georgi Zlatev-Tscherkin, Svetoslav Obretenov and Georgi Dimitri . Radoslavov was also a well-known scientist in Bulgaria and despite invitations to work in Vienna, Leipzig and Prague, he returned to Bulgaria to teach European and ancient languages, psychology, ethics a...

Todor Skalovski (born 21 January 1909, Tetovo, Ottoman Empire – died 1 July 2004, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia) was a famous Macedonian composer, chorus and orchestra conductor. He was the founder of the First Macedonian State Symphony Orchestra, (1945. - 1948) and was editor in chief of Radio Skopje and chief conductor Radioorkestra (1948 - 1954). He directed and conducted the Skopje Opera, since 1954 and later became the director and conductor of the Philharmonic Republic of Macedonia. His compositions were mostly vocal works. Other works include October Cantata II, Suite Baltepe, Macedonian Oro, 2 rhapsodies, Zalez, The size ANIJA (on John Kukuzela), Prispivna song. He is best known as the composer of the Macedonian anthem "Denes Nad Makedonija". Above is a stamp of Macedonian composers born in 1909. Todor Skalovski is the composer on the left. The stamp was issued in 2009.

Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who reshaped Bengali literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he was the first non-European Nobel laureate. His poetry in translation was viewed as spiritual, and this together with his mesmerizing persona gave him a prophet-like aura in the West. His "elegant prose and magical poetry" remain largely unknown outside Bengal. A Pirali Brahmin from Kolkata, Tagore had been writing poetry since he was eight years old. At age 16, he published his first substantial poetry under the pseudonym Bhanushingho ("Sun Lion") and wrote his first short stories and dramas in 1877. Tagore achieved further note when he denounced the British Raj and supported Indian independence. His efforts endure in his vast canon and in the institution he founded, Visva-Bharati University. He also wrote and composed the National Anthems of India and Ban...

The Bayernhymne (Hymn of Bavaria) is the official anthem of the Free State of Bavaria. The melody of the song was written by Max Kunz in 1835. The text for the original first three stanzas was written by Michael Öchsner. Both men were members of the Bürger-Sänger-Zunft München (Citizen-Singers-Guild Munich), that first performed the song on December 15, 1860. In 1946, the poet Joseph Maria Lutz wrote a new third stanza as a replacement for the 'Königsstrophe' (King's Stanza), since after the abdication of King Ludwig III in 1918, Bavaria has been without a king. He also replaced the 'Deutsche Erde' (German earth) in the first stanza with 'Heimaterde' (native soil). In 1946, it was also officially recognized as the national anthem of Bavaria, and on July 29, 1966, the then prime minister of Bavaria, Alfons Goppel, chose the version written by Joseph Maria Lutz to be the official version. In 1980, the Bavarian minister-president Franz Josef Straub, c...

Colorano full color “silk” cachet: e1151 #2 National Anthem Adopted 50th Anniversary is the Official ASDA Cover. The John Hoban President Continental Congress stamp is affixed and tied to the cover with a pictorial cancel: "200th Anniversary Surrender at Yorktown - 50th Anniversary National Anthem Adopted - National Postage Stamp Show ASDA Station New York Coliseum. A second pictorial cancel is added: "Historic Anniversaries National Postage Stamp Show N.Y. Coliseum". The silk cachet depicts Francis Scott Key witnessing the bombing of Fort Mchenry - the inspiration for the National Anthem of the United States of America. The cachet has a brilliant full color, the border of gold, the texture, the feel and look of the “silk”. The envelope above was issued on November 19, 1981.

For the closing concert of the 28th concert season of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) theater, Maestro Olivier Ochanine and the orchestra welcome pianist Poom Prommachart, 1st Prize winner in the 2010 Isidore Bajik International Piano Competition to perform Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto. Also on the programme, which rounds up Maestro Ochanine inaugural season with the orchestra, the First symphony of Gustav Mahler will be performed. Mahler was nearly thirty years old by the time he finished his very first symphony, and the work shows musical maturity and expertise at orchestration quite well. This work is a rousing finale for the end of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra season. Gustav Mahler (7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was a late-Romantic Austrian-Bohemian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer, he acted as a bridge between the 19th century Austro-German tradition and the mo...