| "Highland Cathedral" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Released | 1982 |
| Composers | Ulrich Roever andMichael Korb |
"Highland Cathedral" (Scottish Gaelic:Cathair-eaglais na Gàidhealtachd) is a popular melody for thegreat Highland bagpipe.
It was composed by the German musicians Ulrich Roever and Michael Korb[1] in 1982 for aHighland games held in Germany.[2] It has been proposed as theScottish national anthem to replace the unofficial anthems "Scotland the Brave" and "Flower of Scotland".[3] It has subsequently undergone various orchestrations and had lyrics added inEnglish and inScottish Gaelic.
The tune was theRoyal Hong Kong Police anthem under British rule, which ended in 1997. It was played at a ceremonial lowering of thegovernor's flag atChris Patten'sofficial residence,Government House inCentral, on thelast day of British rule.[4] "Highland Cathedral" is Patten's favourite pipe tune, as said by himself on aBBCAsia Today programme.[5]
The tune has been performed by theRoyal Scots Dragoon Guards, and featured in the albumSpirit of the Glen, which won aClassical Brit award in 2009.[6] The song has been performed at numerous Scottish cultural events, including Scotland's Rugby Union games.[1] It is also a popular wedding song.
It was played on 4 May 2019 at thestate funeral ofGrand Duke Jean fromLuxembourg at theNotre Dame Cathedral by theBand of the Irish Guards and theLuxembourg Military Band.[7]
Lyrics were written by Ben Kelly in 1990 and registered with PRS and MCPS.[8]
