Sing out for an anthem change

First it was the flag, now there’s an upsurge of opinion in favour of changing New Zealand’s national anthem. Proponents seem to be pinning their argument on the fact that, in our racially diverse and increasingly secular country, we should come up with an anthem that dispenses with the word ‘‘God’’.

A minority of those disenchanted with the anthem want to ditch God Defend New Zealand just because it’s a bit of a dirge. I have to admit I can see some merit in both points of view, although I’m certainly not going to be advocating a change.

I’m not a religious person – being dismissed from an Anglican church choir at the age of about 10 because I had, to quote the rector, ‘‘a voice like a cow’’, effectively extinguished any spiritual beliefs I might have nurtured.

However, I would describe myself as an agnostic rather than an atheist. Consequently, I’m quite happy for God Defend New Zealand to be played before All Black test matches and when our athletes win gold medals at sporting events.

I also don’t see it as a problem for the people of diverse faiths who now populate New Zealand. It doesn’t matter if the ‘‘God’’ you are thinking of as you sing is Allah, Buddha, Ganesh or even Thor. That’s your belief and you’re entitled to it.

Whether any of the respective deities are actually going to ‘‘defend’’ New Zealand is entirely another matter, although my money would be on Thor with his big hammer.

It could be argued that the United Kingdom’s national anthem, God Save the Queen, has worked pretty well for the incumbent monarch.

Elizabeth II has reached the ripe old age of 92, and has reigned for 66 years. But it obviously didn’t work so well for Edward VIII. He quit his job after less than a year.

Actually, the Brits have a bit of a problem with their national anthems because of the diverse nature of the UK. God Save the Queen is played at sporting events such as the Olympic Games where the UK competes as one nation, but at the Commonwealth Games, where the four nations compete separately, England opts for Jerusalem, the Scots for Flower of Scotland, the Northern Irish for the Londonderry Air (Danny Boy) and the Welsh for Land of My Fathers.

I have to say all four are infinitely more pleasing on the ear than God Save the Queen ,or God Defend New Zealand for that matter.

If I were to support a change in New Zealand’s anthem it wouldn’t be for any religious reason but rather because Australia and South Africa, for instance, have infinitely more striking ones.

Advance Australia Fair has the advantage of being non-religious and all-inclusive. For instance: For those who’ve come across the seas

We’ve boundless plains to share;

With courage let us all combine

To Advance Australia Fair.

Those are words of inclusion of immigrants that could well resonate in a New Zealand anthem.

The South Africa anthem is to be admired for being sung in the nation’s five main languages – Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English.

The inclusion of the Afrikaans verse has come in for criticism in recent years because it was part of South Africa’s national anthem during the apartheid era, but it was included originally at the behest of president Nelson Mandela as part of the conciliatory process. An admirable decision.

My earliest memories of any national anthem are as a child in England when God Save the Queen was played in cinemas at the end of the film.

Such was the patriotism at the time that many people rushed out of the cinema while the credits were rolling to avoid the formality.