How to sing the National Anthem: a children’s guide

THE words of the National Anthem were once second nature for most, but today’s children need a helping hand in mastering God Save the King.

Ahead of the Coronation, a new illustrated book aims to teach children the anthem’s words, as well as its historical significance, so that they can participate fully in the celebrations.

The book, God Save the King, traces the anthem’s story from its origins in the Bible to its worldwide use today.

In a foreword, Anne-Marie Minhall, the Classic FM presenter, describes it as a “piece of music that touches all our lives”. She added: “Timeless. Enduring. Evergreen. May it always be this way. An anthem that is a constant in good times and in hard times.”

She said it was important to pass the song on to future generations “however we can”, with the book encouraging youngsters to get involved in the national coronation celebrations in May. Since AD 973, the National Anthem was used as a spoken prayer at the coronation of every monarch but, by the mid-18th century, it began to be sung whenever royalty appeared in public.

There are five verses in the National Anthem, although only the first and last verse are usually sung nowadays.

However, Queen Victoria added extra verses to celebrate royal marriages and births and Beethoven was so impressed with it – describing it as the best national anthem he had encountered – that he wove it into his orchestral work Wellington’s Victory. An archaic line referring to crushing rebellious Scots is not included in the new book.

The anthem has been at the heart of many historical moments. It was the first song to be played on a computer (by Alan Turing in 1948), Brian May played it on an electric guitar from the roof of Buckingham Palace during the late Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, and a choir of deaf and hearing children performed it in the opening ceremony for London’s Olympic Games in 2012.

The book, published by Hodder and Stoughton, comes out in May.