National Anthem
Preserved but no longer current.
It is said by some that both the words and music of "God save the Queen," the British national anthem, were composed by Dr. John Bull (d. 1628), organist at Antwerp cathedral 1617-28, where the original MS. is still preserved.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Examples
Tatoeba sentence #13564420 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “National Anthem” mean?
It is said by some that both the words and music of "God save the Queen," the British national anthem, were composed by Dr. John Bull (d. 1628), organist at Antwerp cathedral 1617-28, where the original MS. is still preserved.
Is “National Anthem” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.