"In Plenty and In Time of Need" is the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...

of the country of

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...

. It was written by

Irving Burgie Irving Louis Burgie (July 28, 1924 – November 29, 2019), sometimes known professionally as Lord Burgess, was an American musician and songwriter, regarded as one of the greatest composers of Caribbean music.West Indies Federation The West Indies Federation, also known as the West Indies, the Federation of the West Indies or the West Indian Federation, was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. Various islands in the Caribbean that ...

from 1958 to 1962, Barbados' anthem was supposed to be "

Forged from the Love of Liberty "Forged from the Love of Liberty" is the national anthem of the Trinidad and Tobago. Originally composed as the national anthem for the short-lived West Indies Federation (1958–1962), this song was edited and adopted by Trinidad and Tobago whe ...

" (which is currently the national anthem of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

), however the current anthem was created with Barbados's moves toward full independence. The song was then adopted by Barbados when it became independent in 1966.

History

The anthem was composed by C. Van Roland Edwards (1912–1985). Edwards, a composer who was partially blind, was assisted by his daughters Nannette and Eullia in his composition of "In Plenty and In Time of Need". The lyrics were written by

Irving Burgie Irving Louis Burgie (July 28, 1924 – November 29, 2019), sometimes known professionally as Lord Burgess, was an American musician and songwriter, regarded as one of the greatest composers of Caribbean music.Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York City, born to a Barbadian mother and an American father. A committee made up of Bruce St. John,

Frank Collymore Frank Appleton Collymore MBE (7 January 1893 – 17 July 1980) was a Barbadian literary editor, writer, poet, stage performer and painter. His nickname was "Barbadian Man of the Arts". He also taught for 50 years at Combermere School, where he ...

, Enid Lynch,

George Lamming George William Lamming OCC (8 June 19274 June 2022) was a Barbadian novelist, essayist, and poet. He first won critical acclaim for ''In the Castle of My Skin'', his 1953 debut novel. He also held academic posts, including as a distinguished v ...

, Gerald Hudson and John Fletcher selected Edwards's composition as the national anthem, and Edwards was awarded BDS$500. The anthem was first performed on Independence Day, on 30 November 1966. In 1967, the anthem's music was rearranged by Inspector Prince Cave of the

Royal Barbados Police Band The Barbados Police Service Band, previously known as the Royal Barbados Police Band part of the Barbados Police Service, has been a prominent musical group in Barbados since its foundation in 1889 and is one of the oldest police bands in the world ...

, giving it a more sustained harmony while retaining the original tune.

Lyrics

Rules regarding anthem

The Government of Barbados outlines the following rules for the National Anthem:

Conduct during play

1. Whenever the National Anthem is played all civilians present should stand at attention, men with bared heads. Persons in uniform should act in accordance with instructions.

Anthem application

2. Normally one verse only and the chorus will be played. Where a shortened version of the National Anthem is played, it shall consist of the first twelve bars of the verse and the last four bars of the chorus. The National Anthem shall be played: *(a) for the purposes of a salute on ceremonial or official occasions, on the arrival and departure of: **(i) the

President of Barbados The president of Barbados is the head of state of Barbados and the commander-in-chief of the Barbados Defence Force. The office was established when the country became a parliamentary republic on 30 November 2021. Before, the head of state was ...

. **(ii) a foreign Sovereign,

Head of State A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

or member of a reigning foreign imperial or Royal Family, **(iii) Governors-General of Independent Commonwealth countries. **(iv)

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

s of the Associated States, and **(v) Governors, High Commissioners of Officers administering the Government of a dependent territory within the Commonwealth *(b) at the beginning of all public performances in a cinema house. 3. The National Anthem may be played *(a) at the completion of any public function, or *(b) when toasts are proposed at official functions.

Rules in usage

4. The National Anthem should not be parodied in verse or in song neither should it be played in any tempo other than that officially recognized (eighty-eight crochets to the minute). Particularly, the tune should not be used as a dance number or for the purposes of advertisement. 5. When more than one anthem is played the Barbados anthem should be played last.

References

External links

Streaming audio of the national anthem of Barbados, with information and lyricsarchive link

Vocal
- Other format
Barbadian National Anthem MIDI Instrumental

Video
- YouTube video of National Anthem with scenes of Barbados
Version as played by the Royal Barbados Police Force Band
(RBPF) {{Authority control National symbols of Barbados Barbadian songs

National anthems National anthem compositions in G major