CALLS for Jersey to have a new national anthem have been reignited by a former Senator – who says the current offering is not being used by Island athletes.
In a letter to the JEP, Jim Perchard called on States Members to launch a competition for a song ‘of which we can all be proud’.
Catriona McAllister, the chief executive of Jersey Sport, has described the suggestion as a ‘sensible approach’, while Chief Minister Kristina Moore said it could help ‘generate more team spirit’.
The current Jersey anthem, Island Home, written by Jersey composer Gerard Le Feuvre, was the winning entry in a 2008 competition, and intended for use at sporting events and on national holidays.
The melody was in part inspired by the sounds of Jersey wildlife, with the first three notes – if played two octaves lower – described as the lowing of a Jersey cow.
However, Mr Perchard claimed the song had not been widely adopted, while Ms McAllister pointed out that renditions of Beautiful Jersey had been more frequently used. She added: ‘It’s a wider issue than just sport, but I think it would be good to have discussions about it, because if we get to a podium in Jersey colours it would be good to have something to connect us.
‘An anthem is really important – you only have to look at an Olympic or Commonwealth level [event] to see that it is the moment when the tears come.’
She described Mr Perchard’s call for another competition as a ‘sensible approach’ to finding a new tune.
Deputy Moore acknowledged that a similar endeavour had been held many years ago, but said: ‘It is really important to confirm our identity, generate more team spirit and bring the community together – and an anthem is one way of doing that.’
