No Anthem

The elections that took place in the Netherlands last Tuesday were about more than the government. In the province of Noord-Brabant, there was an additional question. This question was about a unique aspect of the province: the absence of an anthem. The Queen’s Commisioner decided this should change. Three songs were proposed, all less than a hundred years old. One of them, from the same composer of the emotional song ‘kadeng kadeng’, is a disgrace to good taste. The other two are nice to sing along in the pub.

And which song was chosen? None! 40% chose not to have an anthem in Brabant. This is a big relief. I did not like the idea of having an anthem at all and I’m glad so many people agree. The Netherlands is a country where the norm is being normal and not making a fuss about silly things like an anthem. This is reflected in the fact that the flag of Brabant looks more like a tea towel than a banner.

The continued absence of an anthem in Brabant will keep us down to earth and will speed up ceremonies and sport events. Hurray!