The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #92739   Message #1775890
Posted By: Desert Dancer
04-Jul-06 - 03:02 PM
Thread Name: Flower of Scotland, official?
Subject: Flower of Scotland, official?
I'm a bit surprised there's nothing here related to this item in today's New York Times (though I see now that it's still "unofficial":

Scottish Anthem Chosen

The votes came in not only from Britain but also from the United States, Canada, Mongolia, New Caledonia and Christmas Island. And when the online balloting was tallied, Scotland had an unofficial national anthem: "Flower of Scotland," the BBC reported. The song, heard mostly at rugby and soccer matches, was chosen over four other contenders in an online poll conducted by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra last month, a day after it played all of them at a concert in Edinburgh. Announcing the results of the poll, Simon Woods, the orchestra's chief executive, said, "I am thrilled that the R.S.N.O. has been able to use its position as Scotland's national orchestra to propel forward the debate on a new national anthem for Scotland." Earlier this year, First Minister Jack McConnell, who heads the Scottish government, said the matter needed to be resolved. In the voting, 41 percent of the 10,000 participants chose "Flower of Scotland" ; "Scotland the Brave" received 29 percent of the votes and "Highland Cathedral" 16 percent. The other contenders were "Scots Wha Ha'e" and "A Man's a Man for a' That."