Verdi interesting

Robin Whike (Letters, 28 February) wonders if Verdi was responsible for the Italian National Anthem. No, but he nearly was. While another song was chosen, Verdi’s Va Pensiero – The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from his opera Nabucco, was very popular and almost became Italy’s anthem. Verdi is, however, at least partly responsible for Flower of Scotland, the first notes of which are identical to those of Va Pensiero. The theme of the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves is taken from Psalm 137 (“By the Waters of Babylon we sat down and wept”), and is the supposed lament of Hebrew captives in Babylon for the loss of their country. The words of Flower of Scotland echo this theme in a Scottish context.

DAVID STEVENSON Blacket Place, Edinburgh