English anthem for the Commonwealth Games

Good old Hereward, his blog has been up for only a couple of weeks and already he's started making a name for himself.

He has emailed the Commonwealth Games Committee for England (CGCE) asking that they don't use Land of Hope and Glory for England's national anthem in the upcoming Commonwealth Games and I have to agree with him. The tune is great, it's a really upbeat tempo and all that but what relevance does it have to England? It is a song about Britain and the Empire, not about England.

Hereward suggests Jerusalem or I Vow to Thee my Country. While neither of these is perfect, I would lean towards Jerusalem. It mentions England which is a bonus and it's popular amongst English nationalists.

In support of Herewards request, I have emailed the CGCE myself ...

Hi,

I have just seen an email that was sent to Ann Hogbin regarding the national anthem to be sued by the English team at the Commonwealth Games.

I would like to voice my support for the suggestion that Land of Hope and Glory is inappropriate for England. It doesn't mention England and really has no relevance to the country. Jerusalem, whilst not being perfect, does actually mention England and is popular amongst patriotic Englishmen (and women).

I hope that the CGCE give serious consideration to choosing a more relevant anthem than Land of Hope and Glory and sincerely hope that they do not choose God Save the Queen which is the British national anthem.

Regards,

Stuart Parr