Cover image via SAYS
In an exclusive report by BBC, it was revealed that Malaysia had once commissioned Benjamin Britten – a central figure of 20th-century British classical music – to compose a tune for the country's national anthem, only to reject it in favour of a cabaret tune
This information came from Alex Marshall, author of a new book on the history of anthems.
Upon the Malaysian government's request, Britten took on the task of composing a national anthem for Malaysia's upcoming independence day, which he described as "a frightful job"
However, the Malaysian government sent the piece back to Britten a few weeks later as they felt that the song did not sound Malaysian enough. Along with the manuscript, they included several tapes of folk music with the hope that he will incorporate some of the melodies.
Mysteriously, the Malaysian government rejected the song without any given reason, and the piece simply disappeared from memory. It is believed that Malaysia might have realised the irony of having a national anthem composed by an Englishman, seeing as the country was gaining independence from Britain.
Image via Alex Marshall
Listen to what Benjamin Britten composed for Malaysia's national anthem here:
Over the last decade, our national anthem – 'Negaraku' – has been embroiled in some controversy as people questioned the origin of the song
**Meanwhile, it was also speculated that the national anthem is a copy of a Hawaiian song called 'Mamula Moon'.**
Image via Chairulz Adzzha/Mohd Zaid
