Come July and people across the world will become familiar with national anthems of various countries. Find out how much you know about national anthems of various countries before London Olympics reverberate with these tunes. Write to us at G- 1403, Park Life, Sector — 57, Gurgaon 122003 or email senjam@gmail.com. Tweet to me @senjam

National Anthems
1. Very few anthems are attributed to renowned classical musical composers. The music for German national anthem ‘Deutschlandlied’ has been composed by which classical great?
2. What is unique about the language of the lyrics in the national anthem of South Africa?
3. ‘La Marseillaise’, the national anthem of France has no reference to the city of Marseille after which it is named. How did it get its name?
4. The lyrics for ‘The Star Sprangled Banner’ was written by American Francis Scott Key. The tune is however attributed to a Britisher. Name him?
5. Rabindranath Tagore has to his credit national anthems of two countries — India and Bangladesh. Name the person who has composed Nkosi Sikeleli Africa (Lord Bless Africa) which is the national anthem in three countries — Zambia, Tanzania and South Africa (part)?
6. The national anthem of two countries has tunes composed by a German composer Frederik Pacius. Which two countries?
7. What is unique about the national anthems of Spain and San Marino?
8. Sri Lankan composer Wannakuwattawaduge Don Amaradeva has set the tune to a national anthem. However it is not the national anthem of Sri Lanka. Which country’s national anthem are we talking about?
9. Malaysia had a national song writing competition to select its national anthem. None of the 514 entries was accepted. The anthem was finally written by the Prime Minister. Name him?

Anything Goes

1. From which university in India did the Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai do his post graduation in political science? (K. Arjun, Chennai)
2. Which military ceremony was originally called watch setting and was initiated at sunset by the firing of a single round from a gun? (Pankaj Lahoty, Delhi)
3. Two members of the Commonwealth were never part of the British empire. Which are these two countries? (Angshuman Sharma, Bengaluru)
4. The writer of Memory of Selferino won the first Nobel prize for Peace in 1901 and founded Red Cross Society . Being bankrupt and living in exile , he could not attend the ceremony and died in exile. Name him. (Prof. Suhas Patwardhan, Thane)
5. Name the US President who could write Greek with one hand and Latin with the other hand simultaneously? (L.K. Chawla, Gurgaon)
6. Druk is Bhutan’s most powerful name. Bhutan is known as Druk Yul and the airline is called Druk Air. What does Druk mean? (Abhjit Basak, Kolkata)
7. Which former Indian test cricketer is awarded the MBE (Member of the order of the British Empire) for his contribution to cricket and humanity in Ireland? (U. Narsimha Murthy, Secunderabad)

* ANSWERS

National Anthems
1. Joseph Haydn
2. The lyrics use five most widely spoken language of South Africa - Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English
3. The song was first sung by volunteers on the streets of Marseille
4. John Stafford Smith
5. Enoch Sontonga
6. Finland and Estonia
7. Their national anthems do not have any lyrics
8. Maldives
9. Tunku Abdul Rahman
.
Anything Goes
1. Himachal Pradesh University
2. Beating the retreat
3. Mozambique and Rwanda
4. Henry Dunant
5. James Garfield (20th President)
6. Dragon. Druk Yul means Land of the Dragon
7. M.V.Narasimha Rao(of Hyderabad)