Singing the National Anthem

Had time last night to see Taken 2 at BQ Mall. I was persuaded to do so because it was Liam Neeson in the lead role. All through the screening, half of my brain cells were getting themselves scrambled in search for a plausible reason why a distnguished actor like Liam would allow himself to be part of this lousy movie. The plot is too contrived; the acting is not so convincing; the thrilling part is so predictable; and the fight routines are so amateurish.

But this piece is not really about the movie. Let the film buffs and critics make mincemeat of this movie. But, well, the movie house was full. One of those rare times that practically all seats were taken in all the few occasions I would allow myself to be dragged to see a movie. I prefer staying home Friday nights.

Anyway, this blog is about the singing of the national anthem. For the last full show in movie houses, the audience is supposed to stand up, put their hand over their right breast and presumably sing along with the recorded song. This routine has deteriorated over the years. If the purpose is to instill love of country, this ceremonial activity does not support this objective with the way we do it.

First, the audience takes quite a long time to rise up. Some continue talking or eating while trying to show obedience by standing up. Same attitude, I guess, in other public gatherings where they do not sing the national anthem anymore. People rise up and listen, rather than sing, to often defective recording or the national anthem. Nobody minds. It's a requirement, not really showing respect to the national anthem.

Sometime you have to wait for ten minutes for the operator to locate the tape or the disc. Even if nobody is actually singing, sometimes the organizers still put a conductor in front doing some motions not quite in sync with the music. Whether the recording is bad or good, the conductor just making some motions not necessarily in harmony with the music and song being played, nobody minds.

Two years ago, I saw a refreshing sight in this routine. In a concert, the recorder malfunctioned. The audience waited and waited while the operator was frantically fixing the machine. There were some foreign guests and everyone was getting restless in viewing this disastrous display of incompetence, lack of preparation, indifference, whatever and then something refreshing happened. Mrs. Iquit Butalid, wife of the former Governor and head of the provincial cultural body, stepped to the front and proceeded to sing and conduct the singing of the National Anthem. A memorable evening because of this!

The audience sang with her, surprised perhaps that it could be done still this way. The way they sang that night, with feelings and vigor and conviction you would think they were discovering for the first time what school children found out years and years ago - that the singing of the national anthem is for reaffirming love of country and the willingness to die for it, if needed.

Could we just go back to this simple activity and not get distracted by bad recording and videos and what-not?

NMP/05 Oct 2012