Sarnia Cherie
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox anthem
"Sarnia Chérie" (Template:Langx) is used as the unofficial anthem of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. Sarnia is a traditional Latin name for the island.<ref name="Johnson">Template:Cite journal</ref> George Deighton wrote "Sarnia Cherie" in 1911, with Domenico Santangelo composing the tune later the same year.
The anthem can be heard on a number of occasions each year, such as every 9 May Liberation Day,<ref name="Johnson" /> at Island Games gold medal ceremonies,<ref name="Johnson" /> the annual Viaër Marchi community festival in July, and inter-island sporting events.
History
The song was written in 1911 by George Deighton (1869–1935<ref name="Johnson" />), who had arrived on the island in 1908 to manage the St. Julian's Theatre. Having liked the island so much, he wrote a poem three years later, which he then asked Domenico Santangelo (1882–1970<ref name="Johnson" />) to write music for.<ref name="cwgsy">Template:Cite web</ref> Santangelo composed a romantic waltz for the lyrics the same year.<ref name="cwgsy" /><ref name=":0" /> It was first performed at St. Julian's Theatre (which later became Gaumont Cinema<ref name="cwgsy" /><ref name="BBC">Template:Cite web</ref> and then an office complex<ref name="cwgsy" />) at a benefit night in November 1911 by Wilfred Shirvell, a local hotelier and friend of Deighton.<ref name="cwgsy" /><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="BBC" /> Santiangelo then had the song published by a French music publisher of his acquaintance Fermo Dante Marchetti.<ref name="cwgsy" />
During the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands in World War II, the song gained even greater recognition as a local anthem,<ref name="cwgsy" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and it was sung in the later years of the occupation and as British troops liberated the island on 9 May 1945,<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> including by groups of Guernsey evacuees all over the UK, as far as Glasgow.<ref name="cwgsy" /><ref name="BBC" /> The song remains heavily associated with the wartime experience in Guernsey.<ref name="Johnson" />
In 2005, the then Chief Minister of Guernsey, Laurie Morgan, called for an updated version of the song, which was abandoned after it met with near-universal opposition.Template:Citation needed
On 30 June 2009, a CD of 13 renditions of the song was released after an effort spearheaded by local campaigner Roy Sarre, who stated that "it wasn't easy getting copies of Sarnia Cherie".<ref name="BBC" /> The renditions included an 85-voice choir rendition by the Island Churches Guernsey Festival Chorus, a harmonica rendition by former tomato grower John Bourgaize<ref name="BBC" /> and a recording from 9 May 1945, when British troops landed in St. Peter Port to liberate the island after five years of German occupation during World War II. The sheet music was also rearranged by Ray Lowe of Sark, owner of the copyright of the music, which he released in September the same year.<ref name="BBC" />
In 2012, a Guernésiais version of the song was written by Hazel Tomlinson, a member of the Guernésiais-speaking song and dance group Template:Lang (Template:Langx),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which was compiled into a CD of the same name of Guernésiais folk songs with English translations.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Lyrics
| English version<ref name="Johnson" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> | Guernésiais version<ref name="Johnson" /> |
|---|---|
| <poem>I
Sarnia; dear Homeland, Gem of the sea. Island of beauty, my heart longs for thee. Thy voice calls me ever, in waking, or sleep, Till my soul cries with anguish, my eyes ache to weep. In fancy I see thee, again as of yore, Thy verdure clad hills and thy wave beaten shore. Thy rock sheltered bays, ah; of all thou art best, I'm returning to greet thee, dear island of rest. Template:Small Sarnia Cherie. Gem of the sea. Home of my childhood, my heart longs for thee. Thy voice calls me ever, forget thee I'll never, Island of beauty. Sarnia Cherie. II I left thee in anger, I knew not thy worth. Journeyed afar, to the ends of the earth. Was told of far countries, the heav'n of the bold, Where the soil gave up diamonds, silver and gold. The sun always shone, and "race" took no part, But thy cry always reached me, its pain wrenched my heart. So I'm coming home, thou of all art the best. Returning to greet thee, dear island of rest. 𝄆 Template:Small 𝄇</poem> |
<poem>Template:Lang</poem> |
In popular culture
"Sarnia Cherie" was author G. B. Edwards's title for his novel The Book of Ebenezer Le Page on the original typescript he gave to his biographer and future publisher of the book Edward Chaney in 1974, but publishing house Hamish Hamilton decided to use his subtitle when they published it in 1981, choosing, however, to add Deighton's song as an epigraph instead.<ref>The Book of Ebenezer Le Page</ref>