"Ma Normandie" was the official regional
anthem of the
Bailiwick of Jersey, a British
Crown dependency in the
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
, and was written and composed by
Frédéric Bérat. Jersey is historically part of the
Duchy of Normandy
The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans.
From 1066 until 1204, as a result of the Norman c ...
, and
French has been for centuries an official administrative language of Jersey, whose inhabitants have traditionally spoken a variety of
Norman language.
Although "Ma Normandie" is used by Jersey at
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...
,
Island Games
The Island Games (currently known as the NatWest International Island Games for sponsorship reasons) are biennial international multi-sports events organised by the International Island Games Association (IIGA). Competitor teams each represent d ...
and other international events where it is necessary for territories that otherwise use "
God Save the Queen
"God Save the King" is the national and/or royal anthem of the United Kingdom, most of the Commonwealth realms, their territories, and the British Crown Dependencies. The author of the tune is unknown and it may originate in plainchant, bu ...
" to be distinguished, the fact that the song refers to France rather than to Jersey means that a body of opinion has campaigned for a change of anthem.
In 2007 the States of Jersey undertook to find a new, official, Anthem by means of an open competition. The final judging of the competition took place with a public performance of the short-listed pieces on 30 April 2008. The short-listed composers were:
Derek Lawrence,
Gerard Le Feuvre,
James Taberner and a joint composition by
Kevin Porée and
Matheson Bayley
Matheson Bayley (born 15 December 1978) is an English pianist, composer, orchestrator, singer and television host. He was born in Chertsey, Surrey, England, and studied commercial composition at the Royal Academy of Music, London. Having worke ...
; the traditional song
"Beautiful Jersey"/"Man Bieau P'tit Jèrri" was also included in the shortlist. The winner of the competition was declared to be "
Island Home
Island Home is a historical house in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, in or near Gardner. It was built around 1850 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
It is off Louisiana Highway 21 and is reached by a bridge across Bayo ...
" composed by
Gerard Le Feuvre. A
Jèrriais version of the English lyrics will be provided. The States will take the decision on whether to ratify the adoption of a new anthem in the light of public reaction to the results of the competition.
"Ma Normandie" is also widely used, but unofficially, as the regional anthem of
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
.
Lyrics
Notes
References
External links
Midi filemp3 file
Magène
has recorded a new intimist version of this song in the CD "Veillie Normaunde".
{{authority control
Jersey culture
Norman music
Regional songs
British anthems
1836 songs
ko:마 노르망디