Territorial Song replaces ‘God Save the Queen’ @ sports events
According to a press release from the BVI Olympic Committee (BVIOC), permission was confirmed by the IOC via email sent on May 7, 2020.
“The BVIOC is exceptionally proud to attain this milestone not just for our nation but for our athletes, their coaches, parents and supporters,” said Mr Ephraim E. Penn, President of the BVIOC.
“The motivation and emotion that is tied up in representing your country at a major competition can’t be underestimated. Hearing your national song playing as you enter an arena or when you stand on the podium enhances the sense of achievement and pride and underscores all the sacrifices, time and effort that athletes, teams and their support base put in to qualify and compete.”
VI’s national pride & identity
The BVIOC said it had launched the process for approval in 2018 following Kyron A. McMaster’s historic gold medal win in the 400m Hurdles on April 12, 2018, at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.
It said the emotional occasion was made all the more poignant for it happening just 6 months after the devastation wreaked in the VI by Hurricane Irma and the tragic passing of McMaster’s mentor and national track and field coach, Mr Xavier Samuels aka ‘Dag’.
“At that time, it became clear that the Territorial Song, which speaks to the VI’s national pride and identity, would have been the ideal accompaniment to the flag-raising and medal ceremony.”
Cabinet approval
The BVIOC said the initiative was closely followed and encouraged by Dr The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), the current Minister for Education and Culture, and the BVIOC was able to secure the support required from the Government of the Virgin Islands to initiate the official request.
"This is a huge step in promoting pride in our people," Dr Wheatley commented on Facebook following the announcement of the IOC approval.
The BVIOC said it worked with the Ministry of Education and Culture to “be duly authorised and/or licensed to use and to authorise and/or sublicense the use of the Territorial Song,” as set out in the IOC’s National Anthem Authorisation document.
Cabinet, in its meeting of September 18, 2019, decided on the song change.
According to Cabinet’s post-meeting statement released to the media on October 8, 2019, Cabinet decided that the Territorial Song, "Oh Beautiful Virgin Islands" be played, in place of the National Anthem, "God Save the Queen", at regional and international sports events where a participant(s) representing the territory of the Virgin Islands receives a medal and that a Resolution be tabled in the House of Assembly at the next convenient Sitting.
‘Oh Beautiful Virgin Islands’
“Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands” originally was composed in 2012 by Virgin Islanders, Ayana S. Hull and her brother, Kareem Nelson Hull.
The song, which was originally arranged by Mr Howard John, was officially adopted as the Territorial Song by resolution of the House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands on July 24, 2012.
As a British Overseas Territory "God Save the Queen" is the VI’s official national anthem.
The rousing, 80-second, orchestral version of the Territorial Song, requested by the BVIOC and approved by the Ministry for use by the IOC, was arranged by Mr Alton A. Bertie, an Elmore Stoutt High School alumnus who graduated in the field of Film Scoring and Song Writing from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA.
Click on the link to hear the score https://bit.ly/VITerritorialSong
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21 Responses to “Territorial Song replaces ‘God Save the Queen’ @ sports events”
And how wealthy are your sons!”
I presume that’s the supposedly offensively sexist aspect.... Lordy, that seems rather desperate to me. Scraping the bottom of the barrel. The song is OK and I hope the shortened version takes off more. It’s gotta be better than GSTQ.
God save us from fraudulent G******r! Only cares about his White House with white M**k. Both need investigated.