New anthem to mark Norfolk Day
We can learn it online
A new Norfolk Anthem has been written, celebrating the spirit of the people of Norfolk, and the beautiful, diverse countryside in which we live.
The anthem, called "Call this place your own (We are Norfolk)", has been released to coincide with Norfolk Day 2021 today (27 July). The song touches on themes of friendship, strength and finding your home in Norfolk, encouraging everyone in Norfolk to remember all that the county has to offer.
Alison Bell, Head of Norfolk Music Hub, said:
"Norfolk is an incredible county- amazing people, beautiful coastline and great towns and cities. It has so much to offer all of us who live here, and those who come to visit too. After a long hard year, we wanted to create an anthem which celebrated our county and its people. There are so many great stories of the incredible ways in which people have gone above and beyond for each other over the last year, and that's what makes Norfolk such an incredible place to call home."
John Fisher, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, said:
"Norfolk is well worth celebrating for so many reasons, and this anthem is a great rallying call for all of us. It reflects the difficult times that we've all face since the start of the pandemic, but also how we've come together to find a way through. I'm looking forward to celebrating the day and hope that many will hear the anthem and be proud of Norfolk. It's a brilliant, rousing song and I can't wait to hear the final version!"
A virtual choir event will take place on Norfolk Day to teach people across the county to sing along together. Hosted by Norfolk Music Hub, the event will see young people across the county joining to together to record a special version of the song to mark Norfolk day 2021. More details are available here.
Emily Barden, who wrote the song alongside children and staff at Langham Primary and Norwich Academy, said:
"It has been a fabulous experience creating the new anthem for Norfolk. Working alongside a group of young musicians on Zoom and visiting 2 primary school in the county, I workshopped ideas based around themes of home, landscape, history and the future, all linked by the overarching theme of what it means to be able to call Norfolk your home.
"There were so many great ideas, both lyrically and melodically, the hardest job for me was to streamline them all into a coherent and complete piece. This was a brilliant creative challenge and one I have thoroughly enjoyed. I also really valued the time I spent in this beautiful county and hope the song represents the feelings and experiences of those who live here. I can't wait to teach it to some young singers and hear it sung by massed Norfolk voices!"