HOW could the power that be of this country sit back and allow the Planning Committee of the recent GuyExpo to present a rendition of our National Anthem of Guyana as was done at the opening ceremony by a group of youngsters. It was mutilated beyond recognition. How dare these young men do this to The National Anthem of Guyana?
Mr. Editor, the National Anthem of a country must remain and rendered always, at all times, in the manner and mood in which the composers wrote it. Words and music are not to be changed. Nothing should be added, nothing taken away.
At the opening ceremony one could hardly recognise our National Anthem the way it was sung by this group of would be musicians. Was it rock style? Was it hip hop style? Heaven or perhaps the devil knows what style it was. I am sure the bones of Rev. Luker and R.C.G Potter must have bled in their tombs, and grieved in spirit at such a rendition of their composition.
A committee of recognised musicians chose our National Anthem. The group that sang it mutilated the entire composition beyond recognition. This should not be. There must be patriotic dedication to our Anthem and to our Pledge. Could you imagine someone changing the words of the Pledge? How could the people who planned the opening ceremony be so uncaring to allow such a shoddy performance to take place? Don’t they know better? The National Anthem of other countries is rendered as it was written.
Our National Anthem as it was rendered at the ceremony was an insult to the nation. The worse was yet to come. We sat there and listened to a song composed specially for GuyExpo. Listeners could not find the melody nor the message. It was without harmony from beginning to end. The first line was a repetition of GuyExpo? GuyExpo? GuyExpo? GuyExpo? And on and on it went. I t was tuneless, just the belting out of words, words. Mr. Frog could have done better.
Please Mr. Editor, spare us from a repetition. Give Guyana respect due to it. Our National Anthem must at all times be rendered as it is written by Rev. Luker and RCG Potter.
Please don’t garbage my letter. Do give it consideration. I wrote it straight from an aching heart.