"O Sweet Saint Martin's Land", also known by its French title, "" ("Saint Martin, So Pretty"), is the bi-national song of Saint-Martin / Sint Maarten island, an island divided between the French Republic and the

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. It was written in English (the main language of Saint Martin) by Gerard Kemps in 1958. Kemps also wrote and composed a French version with its own lyrics and a different tune.

History

After being appointed as priest for the Catholic Church of French St-Martin in 1954, Father Gerard Kemps felt compelled to compose lyrics and a melody about the beauty of the land of Saint Martin. In 1958, Kemps created "O Sweet Saint Martin's Land". Because of the message the lyrics conveyed and the melody that carried the tune, it served the purpose of a national song. In 1984, on the occasion of the Dutch

Queen's Birthday The King's Official Birthday (alternatively the Queen's Official Birthday when the monarch is female) is the selected day in the United Kingdom and most Commonwealth realms on which the birthday of the monarch is officially celebrated in those ...

, Kemps was knighted in the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

. Although there are some now on St. Martin who are unaware of Kemps, his legacy lives on in the St. Martin's song. A wide-hole 7-inch vinyl recordText and melodies : Rev. G. Kemps C.S. SP. Eindredaktie in samen werking met Tony Vissenberg.
Originele opname : Arno Peterson St.Marteen with the R.C. Choir of Marigot.
Eindbewerking : Studio Theelen, Munstergeleen Holland.
Soloists : Rev. Kemps x Hélène. Jacket design : Jesus x Tony (made in the Netherlands) was issued by Kemps & the Marigot Catholic Church choir.

Lyrics

English version

French version

Notes

References

External links

* . {{National Anthems of North America North American anthems National symbols of Sint Maarten National symbols of the Collectivity of Saint Martin Saint Martinois culture 1958 songs French anthems Dutch anthems