It’s been sung thousands of times in the last weeks as the Platinum Jubilee celebrations took over the country but the British national anthem just got a very special makeover and it’s got plenty of people talking.
Ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Eurovision star Sam Ryder performed ‘God Save The Queen’ and produced a rendition that took plenty by surprise.
His rock version of the anthem, complete with guitar intro and riffs to finish, got plenty of attention. Initial reaction on social media was divided with some loving the more raucous rendition and others less keen.
The singer himself was thrilled, saying that to be asked to perform the national anthem at Silverstone was ”an honour of the highest order”.
Just a month ago, he was one of the main stars at the Platinum Party at the Palace during the Jubilee weekend when he performed his Eurovision hit, Space Man, to a rapturous response. The singer, from Maldon in Essex, added his own touch to that performance, changing the last words from ”Space, Man” to ”Space, Ma’am” for the Jubilee rendition.
It comes after he became the UK’s most successful Eurovision entry in over a quarter of a century. He came second in this year’s contest, with Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra claiming victory with their song ‘Stefania’.
Sam Ryder’s gone on to score a massive Europe wide hit with ‘Space, Man; with a sell out tour coming off the back of it. And his rendition of the national anthem has grabbed more headlines with some questioning whether it’s time to shake up the centuries’ old song.
‘God Save the Queen’ is the national anthem of the United Kingdom but there have been frequent calls for that to change. While some criticise it as a dull anthem, others say it isn’t representative of the whole UK while Scotland and Wales have their own anthems for sporting events where they play.
The anthem came into popular use in the reign of George II with the first published version appearing in the mid 18th century.
