Het Nederlandse volkslied, Wilhelmus.
Me playing the Dutch National anthem, Wilhelmus van Nassouwe, also known as het Wilhelmus in Dutch (English translation: the William) on my 5 string banjo.
The Dutch anthem is the oldest national anthem in the world, and probably one of the most dignifying, beautiful and sobering at that too. Behind me, is the Prinsenvlag (Prince's flag) to your left, which is a historical Dutch flag. It was the flag used by the Dutch Rebels in the Dutch Revolt against Spain in the Eighty Years' War, and upon victory, became the flag of the Dutch Republic. It was also the flag of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. The flag can be roughly compared to the American Betsy Ross flag, in its historical significance. It could also be compared to our Dixie Flag, both in historical and modern sense. Historical because it was also used by patriotic Rebels, who were labeled "traitors" by the other side when they were only fighting tyranny, invasion and subjugation, along with the denial of sovereignty against the people's will. And in a modern sense because coincidentally, due some far-right usage and the consequential liberal media sensationalism plus capitalization upon the same, the Prinsenvlag is also the source of some controversy today. But it was the flag of Dutch Independence and many Dutch accomplishments around the world, and the positivity of the flag is older and historical, unlike its negativity, which is rather modern. So, if you find that flag offensive today as a Dutchman, I can understand that, as the flag has been misrepresented and used inappropriately during your lifetime. However, remember that it was the founding flag of the Netherlands, a historical patriotic symbol and of the followers of William himself, besides of also being celebrated, and honored by the Dutch diaspora around the world. It is displayed here on THAT historical, positive sense, with no personal political beliefs attached. Despite my heritage, I do not live in the Netherlands, therefore, I stay out of Dutch politics, as it is none of my business. As for the flag, I am partial to the color scheme, as I believe red, white and blue to be lovely colors, but definitely overused and too common among many world flags. Nevertheless the red, white and blue current Dutch flag is very beautiful and historical as well, and should be flown with great pride as the national flag. The Prince's Flag was based on the Flag of Prince William of Orange-Nassau, which was in turn based on the colors of his own family coat of arms, hence the flag's name. And the current Dutch flag was based on the Prinsenvlag as well.
The anthem is a tribute to the same William, who, as I might have already stated, was the Dutch patriot who led the revolution to secure Dutch independence from Spain. He is the Dutch national hero. He was also known as William the Silent or Vader des Vaderlands (Father of the Fatherland). He was the first head of state to be assassinated with a firearm. However, if you look up his killer, a fanatic loyalist Frenchman by the name Balthasar Gérard, you'll find out that he paid a very high price in one of the most horrible tortures ever performed, anywhere. Well, shouldn't have messed with William! Anyways, to your right, is the current Dutch national flag, which is the oldest tricolor flag in the world. The red stripe replaced the orange stripe because it was a more stable color, while the orange stripe of the old flag would fade to a faint red stripe on Dutch ships with time in Dutch ships. At the time, yellow and red dyes were used to make orange, and the yellow would fade leaving just the red pigment. Nevertheless, the flags of New York City and Albany, NY, along with the old South African flag, are also based on the aforementioned Prinsenvlag. New York City's official seal and motto are actually in the Dutch language, reminescent of when the city used to be called New Amsterdam as a Dutch settlement.
The portrait in the middle is of William himself. Interestingly, the anthem has 15 stanzas, the first letters of every stanza put together spells the name WILLEM VAN NASSOV, the great man they paid tribute to. Very interesting stuff!
The basic melodies for this banjo rendition were arranged by a Dutchman himself, a very talented banjo player named Bart Veerman. Thank you, Bart. I appreciate you going out of your way to help me with this tune. The second part played is his same arrangement, with a few additional backup notes of my own. I am new to arranging tunes and importing non-banjo tunes for the 5 string banjo, but I'm learning steadily.
I hope you enjoyed this, especially if you are Dutch, either native or a descendant like me, this tune is dedicated to all y'all and the great nation that is the Netherlands. I also dedicate it to my family, many of them who are actually from the Netherlands, hence why I made this little tribute.
Video recorded December 11, 2011.
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Wilhelmus van Nassouwe - Nederlands Volkslied (Dutch National Anthem) - ROCK VERSIONby SparrowLesPaul294 views
No offense but personally I think the Dutch anthem is the most beautiful one. (Maybe becsuse I'm Dutch)
WhAtStHeMaTtErMan 1 month ago
@WhAtStHeMaTtErMan Nobody would take offense to that here. The Dutch anthem is indeed very beautiful, so no surprise a Dutchman would find it to be the most beautiful anthem of all times. I love the anthem as well, but I'm also biased towards Dixie and Flower of Scotland. People tend to regard their own national anthem as the best.
MSfeller 1 month ago
MSfeller - I like your videos. This is good because of the history and supporting material items you included with the song. Great work. Glad to be a subscriber to your channel. - Dwight
CountryMelodies 2 months ago
@CountryMelodies Thank you, Dwight, I appreciate your respect. It's heartwarming. Yeah, I love history! Glad you noticed all the stuff I placed there, I actually had to wait for that shirt to arrive before shooting the video, as I wanted it all to look "as Dutch as possible". It was hard to find the Prinsenvlag too. Thanks for observing those details! I'm honored that you are my subscriber and glad that you enjoy being the same. Likewise, I enjoy your channel and musical taste!
MSfeller 2 months ago
Missed your pickin! Been researching my family line, and the Northern side has Dutch from New Amsterdam and Holland (DeWitt family, married into the Clintons of NY, and DeWitt Clinton was my great-grandfather's godfather). Wish I was in Old Amsterdam right now...lol
combatjm89 2 months ago
@combatjm89 Thanks, Glenn! I'm glad you know your heritage far back, it's no surprise that you have Dutch connections from your Northern side, as you mentioned yourself, New York used to be New Amsterdam and other parts of the state, like Albany, have a strong Dutch heritage. That is honored by their city flags, which incorporate the old Dutch colors, windmills and even the NYC motto is in Dutch. You have a rich heritage there, buddy. Not to mention your noble Confederate side! :)
MSfeller 2 months ago