RULE, BRITANNIA!
An outdated song whose ship has sailed
’m sat on a picnic rug, an oversized coat around my shoulders. There’s a sharpness to the air; the short English summer is drawing to a close and the evening is chilly. In my hand is a Union Jack flag. Sheltered within the bandstand, the orchestra prepares for the grand finale. As we reach the chorus, everyone around me raises their arms,, the piece by English composer Thomas Arne with text by Scottish poets James Thomson and David Mallet. Here, less accomplished – but equally enthusiastic – voices sing the same song: “Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves! Britons never, never, never will be slaves.”
