Saint Helena Local Anthem for String Orchestra is currently unavailable

About this arrangement

String Orchestra - Digital Download SKU: A0.746806 Composed by Dave Mitchell. Arranged by Keith Terrett. 20th Century,Multicultural,Patriotic,World. 12 pages. Keith Terrett #3575337. Published by Keith Terrett (A0.746806). Arranged for String Orchestra, My Saint Helena Island is the unofficial territorial anthem of Saint Helena. It was written by Dave Mitchell in 1975, after persuasion from the inhabitants of Saint Helena. As British Overseas Territory the official anthem is God Save the Queen. Dave Mitchell, nicknamed "Old Saddlebags", was a Country & Western Disc jockey on AFN Volcano Radio on Ascension Island. Dave was introduced to Saints on Ascension by one of his best friends, Charlie Renn, and became involved with them, playing for parties all over the island. It was Charlie who suggested that Dave write a song for St. Helena. Dave was reluctant to do so, as he had never been to St Helena so Charlie, who had visited the island, promptly brought Dave some large colour postcards of St. Helena. Sitting in his room for a night or two studying the postcards, Dave picked up his guitar and in a few minutes the song was written. It is, appropriately, a Country song. The song was an immediate hit with the Saints on Ascension. With the help of recording company Camaro Records, Dave made two 45-rpm records (4 songs) in Memphis, Tennessee in 1975. Dave and Charlie had planned to make a trip to St. Helena to deliver the records and some photographs of himself in person but it proved not to be possible so he had to mail them instead. The reaction on St. Helena was as enthusiastic as that of the Saints on Ascension and "My St. Helena Island" quickly became the de facto National Song of St. Helena. It is played regularly as a request on Saint FM Community Radio and also over the ship’s PA system every time the RMS St. Helena leaves port. The lyrics are: 1: My heart is drifting southward / To my home down in the sea / It’s the isle of St. Helena / Where my loved ones wait for me / Long since I left it / But I’ll soon be going home / To my St. Helena island / And swear I’ll never roam 2: Diamonds they are pretty / So is your fancy cars / But St. Helena island / Is prettier by far / All the wonders of this world / I’m told they number seven / But St. Helena Island / Is the nearest one to heaven 3: Diamonds they are pretty / So is your fancy cars / But St. Helena island / Is prettier by far / Someday if the Lord above / Comes out of heaven’s gate / I’m sure He’ll pick St. Helena / And use it as His place This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of popular titles and original compositions from a variety of voices and backgrounds. The length, difficulty, and retail pricing are determined solely by the discretion of the person who arranged or composed it. About Digital Downloads Digital Downloads are downloadable sheet music files that can be viewed directly on your computer, tablet or mobile device. Once you download your digital sheet music, you can view and print it at home, school, or anywhere you want to make music, and you don’t have to be connected to the internet. Just purchase, download and play! PLEASE NOTE: Your Digital Download will have a watermark at the bottom of each page that will include your name, purchase date and number of copies purchased. You are only authorized to print the number of copies that you have purchased. You may not digitally distribute or print more copies than purchased for use (i.e., you may not print or digitally distribute individual copies to friends or students).