Re: [GZG] Martians & La Marseillaise

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Burger wrote:
> [...] any guesses as to how banal/cloying/triumphal the state songs of
the GZGverse superstates are?
Let's see:

NAC -- the "old guard", the same faction that wants the Navy to re-adopt

the HMS prefix for its ships, probably backs "God Save The King/Queen", 
but hasn't convinced Parliament. It's possible that the current (2180s) 
anthem is either something we don't know or a re-worked version of an 
existing anthem -- "Land of Hope and Glory" with references to England 
being replaced by "Albion", for instance. In either case, it'll be 
something that lends itself to large-scale orchestration a la Elgar; 
something heavy on the brass and percussion with at least pretensions to

/gravitas/ so that it can be included in State occasions and ceremonies,

played either by a full orchestra or a Marine band.

ESU -- depends on the balance in the government between the ex-Russian 
influence and the Chinese influence. Either way, it's likely to be 
something suitably neo-Communist in style -- big, boastful, made for 
mass singing and military bands -- but what it sounds like will depend 
on which musical tradition was followed.

NSL -- well, it's going to be Germanic-style on steroids. A march, 
definitely -- possibly Mozart (original or re-worked).

FSE -- what's wrong with "Ode to Joy"? The FSE sees itself as the 
successor state to the EU, so they'd likely keep the latter's anthem to 
promote continuity for their citizens, and as an attraction for anyone 
from the other states who wishes to "rejoin the fold". There may well be

a French movement that would like La Marseillaise adopted, but they 
don't (yet?) have the votes.

The other powers could have quite different styles of anthems following 
their own musical traditions; the OU anthem could be quite interesting 
if they tried to incorporate South Pacific influences.

With Humanity spread out among the start in a multitude of nations, 
great and small, I can see a return to the old-style anthems of the 
pre-20th century Great Powers -- triumphal, bombastic, rather 
militaristic and, above all else, /big/, made for large occasions. The 
banality of the words is in the ear of the beholder and has more to do 
with the context in which they are encountered; songs with complex 
lyrics requre simple music if they are to be heard and register, but 
simple words allow complex music, which may be more to the taste of the 
governments.

Phil