Lockdown diary: day 31
Another huge expression of support at 8pm as people came to their front doors while those who were doing urgent shopping paused for a moment in supermarkets to applaud NHS and other workers who are on the front line, caring for us all.
St George's day when we celebrate the patron saint of England. Must admit I had some sympathy for the idea put forward a few years ago that Saint Alban, the first known Christian martyr in Britain, might have been a more appropriate patron saint for this country than someone who never came within a thousand miles of it, but the tradition is too strong and is obviously not going to change. A very Happy St George's day to everyone reading this.
A fun time choosing a music slot for today - as most of the patriotic songs which might otherwise have been appropriate are Britain rather than English. As someone who self-identifies as Britain I am painfully aware that the only thing which upsets Scots, Welsh and Irish people nearly as much as being called English is when the English appropriate Britain national symbols in an English context.
I did briefly consider posting Flanders and Swann's "A song of patriotic prejudice" but as the late Michael Flanders correctly described this as a song designed to offend practically everyone (except those with a sense of humour) that was probably too great a risk.
So I ended up posting Parry's setting to music of Blake's poem "Jerusalem" which is probably the nearest thing England has to a national song. Like more than a little of what Blake wrote, "Jerusalem" is inspirational nonsense but great fun.
Keep mwell
Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.
St George's day when we celebrate the patron saint of England. Must admit I had some sympathy for the idea put forward a few years ago that Saint Alban, the first known Christian martyr in Britain, might have been a more appropriate patron saint for this country than someone who never came within a thousand miles of it, but the tradition is too strong and is obviously not going to change. A very Happy St George's day to everyone reading this.
A fun time choosing a music slot for today - as most of the patriotic songs which might otherwise have been appropriate are Britain rather than English. As someone who self-identifies as Britain I am painfully aware that the only thing which upsets Scots, Welsh and Irish people nearly as much as being called English is when the English appropriate Britain national symbols in an English context.
I did briefly consider posting Flanders and Swann's "A song of patriotic prejudice" but as the late Michael Flanders correctly described this as a song designed to offend practically everyone (except those with a sense of humour) that was probably too great a risk.
So I ended up posting Parry's setting to music of Blake's poem "Jerusalem" which is probably the nearest thing England has to a national song. Like more than a little of what Blake wrote, "Jerusalem" is inspirational nonsense but great fun.
Keep mwell
Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.
Comments