"Motherland" is the national song of the British overseas territory of Montserrat. It was composed by academic J. A. George Irish and written by former acting Governor of Montserrat Sir Howard A. Fergus. "Motherland" was officially passed into law by the Legislative Assembly of Montserrat as the Territorial Song of Montserrat in 2014, after an extensive public search for a national song through open participation by Montserratians at home and abroad.
J. A. George Irish and Howard A. Fergus were the first two recipients of Montserrat's historic national award of the Order of Excellence, the highest honour granted to living citizens for their distinguished careers in education and community leadership. The official rendition submitted to the government for its archives and public usage is performed by the international artist Ayanna Irish
The original version of the song was written as an unofficial "nationalist anthem" titled "O Emerald Isle" to express a nascent cultural pride that emerged in the early 1970s as part of an educational and cultural revival in Montserrat under the leadership of the young academic, Dr. J. A. George Irish, in his role as the academic and administrative Head of the newly established local Extra-Mural Branch of the University of the West Indies.
"Saba, you rise from the ocean" is the regional song of the Caribbean island Saba, a special municipality of the Netherlands. The anthem was written and composed by Christina Maria Jeurissen, a Dominican nun, in 1960.[1] It was established by the Island Council on 6 December 1985 and officially ratified on 10 October 2010.
"Saba, you rise from the ocean" is the regional song of the Caribbean island Saba, a special municipality of the Netherlands. The anthem was written and composed by Christina Maria Jeurissen, a Dominican nun, in 1960.[1] It was established by the Island Council on 6 December 1985 and officially ratified on 10 October 2010.