Sarnia Cherie

Sarnia Cherie
English: Dear Guernsey
	Regional anthem of the Bailiwick of Guernsey
Lyrics	George Deighton, 1911
Music	Domenico Santangelo, 1911

Last updated March 13, 2024

"Sarnia Cherie" (English: Dear Guernsey) is used as the unofficial anthem of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. Sarnia is a traditional Latin name for the island.^[1] George Deighton wrote "Sarnia Cherie" in 1911, with Domenico Santangelo composing the tune later the same year.

History

The song was written in 1911 by George Deighton (1869–1935^[1]), who had arrived on the island in 1908 to manage the St. Julian's Theatre. Having liked the island so much, he wrote a poem three years later, which he then asked Domenico Santangelo (1882–1970^[1]) to write music for.^[2] Santangelo composed a romantic waltz for the lyrics the same year.^[2]^[3] It was first performed at St. Julian's Theatre (which later became Gaumont Cinema^[2]^[4] and then an office complex^[2]) at a benefit night in November 1911 by Wilfred Shirvell, a local hotelier and friend of Deighton.^[2]^[3]^[4] Santiangelo then had the song published by a French music publisher of his acquaintance Fermo Dante Marchetti.^[2]

During the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands in World War II, the song gained even greater recognition as a local anthem,^[2]^[5] and it was sung in the later years of the occupation and as British troops liberated the island on 9 May 1945,^[6] including by groups of Guernsey evacuees all over the UK, as far as Glasgow.^[2]^[4] The song remains heavily associated with the wartime experience in Guernsey.^[1]

In 2005, the then Chief Minister of Guernsey, Laurie Morgan, called for an updated version of the song, which was abandoned after it met with near-universal opposition.^{[ citation needed ]}

On 30 June 2009, a CD of 13 renditions of the song was released after an effort spearheaded by local campaigner Roy Sarre, who stated that "it wasn't easy getting copies of Sarnia Cherie".^[4] The renditions included an 85-voice choir rendition by the Island Churches Guernsey Festival Chorus, a harmonica rendition by former tomato grower John Bourgaize^[4] and a recording from 9 May 1945, when British troops landed in St. Peter Port to liberate the island after five years of German occupation during World War II. The sheet music was also rearranged by Ray Lowe of Sark, owner of the copyright of the music, which he released in September the same year.^[4]

In 2012, a Guernésiais version of the song was written by Hazel Tomlinson, a member of the Guernésiais-speaking song and dance group La Guaine du Vouest (English: The Group from the West),^[7] which was compiled into a CD of the same name of Guernésiais folk songs with English translations.^[8]

Lyrics

English version^[1]^[3]^[6]	Guernésiais version^[1]
I Sarnia; dear Homeland, Gem of the sea. Island of beauty, my heart longs for thee. Thy voice calls me ever, in waking, or sleep, Till my soul cries with anguish, my eyes ache to weep. In fancy I see thee, again as of yore, Thy verdure clad hills and thy wave beaten shore. Thy rock sheltered bays, ah; of all thou art best, I'm returning to greet thee, dear island of rest. Chorus: Sarnia Cherie. Gem of the sea. Home of my childhood, my heart longs for thee. Thy voice calls me ever, forget thee I'll never, Island of beauty. Sarnia Cherie. II I left thee in anger, I knew not thy worth. Journeyed afar, to the ends of the earth. Was told of far countries, the heav'n of the bold, Where the soil gave up diamonds, silver and gold. The sun always shone, and "race" took no part, But thy cry always reached me, its pain wrenched my heart. So I'm coming home, thou of all art the best. Returning to greet thee, dear island of rest. 𝄆 Chorus 𝄇	I Sarnia, chière patrie, bijou d'la maïr, Ile plloinne dé biautai, dans d'iaoue si cllaire Ta vouaix m'appeule terjous, mon tcheur plloin d'envie, Et mon âme té crie en poine, mes iars voudraient t'veis. Quaend j'saonge, j'té vaie derchier, mesme comme t'étais d'vànt, Tes côtis si vaerts et ton sabllaon si bllànc, Tes bànques et tes rotchets. Ah! Dé toutes la pus belle. Mon réfuge et mon r'pos, chière île qu'est si belle. Chorus: Sarnia Chérie, ma chière patrie, D'l'île dé ma nèissance, mon tcheur a envie Ta vouaix m'appeule terjours, et j'pense à té chaque jour. Ile plloinne dé biautai, Sarnia Chérie. II Sàns saver ta valeur, j'm'en fus en colère, Je v'yagis si llian, à l'aute but dé la terre. I m'dirent dé biaux pays, et j'm'en fus brâment Oueque la terre baillait à haut d'l'or et dé l'argent. Nous 'tait tous amis et i fit bal chaque jeur, Mais ta vouaix m'applait terjours, a m'déteurtait l'tcheur. Ch'est pourtchi qué j'm'en vians. Ah! té veis, la millaeure. Ma chière île dé répos, dé chenna j'sis saeure. 𝄆 Chorus 𝄇

In popular culture

"Sarnia Cherie" was author G. B. Edwards's title for his novel The Book of Ebenezer Le Page on the original typescript he gave to his biographer and future publisher of the book Edward Chaney in 1974, but publishing house Hamish Hamilton decided to use his subtitle when they published it in 1981, choosing, however, to add Deighton's song as an epigraph instead.^[9]

Related Research Articles

The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, consisting of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm and some smaller islands. Historically, they are the remnants of the Duchy of Normandy. Although they are not part of the United Kingdom, the UK is responsible for the defence and international relations of the islands as it is for the other Crown Dependency, the Isle of Man, and the British Overseas Territories. The Crown Dependencies are neither members of the Commonwealth of Nations, nor part of the European Union. They have a total population of about 171,916, and the bailiwicks' capitals, Saint Helier and Saint Peter Port, have populations of 33,500 and 18,207 respectively.

Guernsey is the second largest island in the Channel Islands, located 27 miles (43 km) west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited islands and many small islets and rocks. The Bailiwick has a population of 63,950, the vast majority of whom live on Guernsey, and the island has a land area of 24 square miles (62 km²).

The history of Guernsey stretches back with evidence of Neolithic occupation, followed by Roman occupation. Christianity was brought to Guernsey by St Sampson.

Alderney is the northernmost of the inhabited Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is 3 miles (5 km) long and 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) wide.

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a self-governing British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France, comprising several of the Channel Islands. It has a total land area of 78 square kilometres (30 sq mi) and an estimated total population of 67,334.

Guernésiais, also known as Dgèrnésiais, Guernsey French, and Guernsey Norman French, is the variety of the Norman language spoken in Guernsey. It is sometimes known on the island simply as "patois". As one of the langues d'oïl, it has its roots in Latin, but has had strong influence from both Old Norse and English at different points in its history.

St. Peter Port is a town and one of the ten parishes on the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is the capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2019 was 18,958.

The Channel Islands are located in the English Channel, by Normandy, France. The two bailiwicks, Guernsey and Jersey, are not a part of the United Kingdom, but since the 20th century are majority English-speaking and part of the British cultural sphere. They also share a historic cultural identity with the people of Normandy.

The culture of Guernsey in the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a culture which has been shaped by its indigenous Norman language and traditions as well as French and British cultural influences. Cultural trends from immigrant communities such as the Portuguese have also been added.

<i>Jersey Evening Post</i> Newspaper on the island of Jersey

The Jersey Evening Post (JEP) is a local newspaper published six days a week in the Bailiwick of Jersey. It was printed in broadsheet format for 87 years, though it is now of compact (tabloid) size. Its strapline is: "At the heart of island life".

<i>The Book of Ebenezer Le Page</i> 1981 novel by Gerald Basil Edwards

The Book of Ebenezer Le Page is a novel by English writer Gerald Basil Edwards first published in the United Kingdom by Hamish Hamilton in 1981, and in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf in the same year. It has since been published by Penguin books and New York Review Books in their classics series, as well as in French and Italian.

The military occupation of the Channel Islands by Nazi Germany lasted for most of the Second World War, from 30 June 1940 until liberation on 9 May 1945. The Bailiwick of Jersey and Bailiwick of Guernsey are British Crown dependencies in the English Channel, near the coast of Normandy. The Channel Islands were the only de jure part of the British Empire in Europe to be occupied by Nazi Germany during the war. Germany's allies Italy and Japan also occupied British territories in Africa and Asia, respectively.

The linguistic situation of the Bailiwick of Guernsey is quite similar to that of Jersey, the other Bailiwick in the Channel Islands. English is the official language, French is used for administration, there are several varieties of Norman language used by a minority of the population, and Portuguese is spoken by some immigrants in the workforce.

Channel Island English refers to Alderney English, Guernsey English and Jersey English and similar dialects of English found in the other Channel Islands.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Guernsey:

This is a list of books in the English language which deal with Guernsey and its geography, history, inhabitants, culture, biota, etc.

The first postal service took place using mail sent with captains of packet ships, using agents in the England and in the islands for the end delivery. The cost was normally 3d. The first pillar boxes in Britain were introduced in the Channel Islands as an experiment in 1852, to collect mail for the Royal Mail packet boats. The oldest pillar box in use in the British Isles is in Guernsey.

Liberation Day is the national day of both Guernsey and Jersey, the two largest of the Channel Islands, which takes place on 9 May each year. It commemorates the liberation of the Channel Islands on 9 May 1945, which marked the end of the islands' occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II. It falls on the same day as the European Union's Europe Day, which celebrates post-World War II peace and European unity. 9 May is a public holiday in both islands and each has different celebrations and commemorative events; the centrepiece of Jersey's is the Liberation Day re-enactment in the Liberation Square, while Guernsey's is an islandwide cavalcade of classic vehicles.

The history of the Jews in Guernsey dates back to well before the events of 1940–5. A London Jew named Abraham was described in 1277 as being from "La Gelnseye" (Guernsey). A converted Portuguese Jew, Edward Brampton, was appointed Governor of Guernsey in 1482.

The Guernsey Society is an organisation for people with an interest in the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Johnson, Henry (2021). "Performing Jurisdictional Politics in the Bailiwick of Guernsey: A Study of Anthems and Stamps" (PDF). Transformations (35): 8–11. ISSN 1444-3775 . Retrieved 23 January 2022.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Local Anthem". Guernsey Scenes. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
1 2 3 "Sarnia Cherie » History & Heritage". This Is Guernsey. Archived from the original on 24 October 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
1 2 3 4 5 6 BBC. "Sarnia Cherie on CD". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
↑ Jones, Paul Anthony (7 November 2012). The British Isles: A Trivia Gazetteer. Summersdale Publishers Limited. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-85765-815-9.
1 2 "Sarnia Cherie sing-along planned". Bailiwick Express. 9 May 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
↑ "Sarnia Cherie | Guernsey". The Sarnian. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
↑ Johnson, Henry (December 2012). ""The Group from the West": Song, endangered language and sonic activism on Guernsey". Journal of Marine and Island Cultures. 1 (2): 99–112. doi: 10.1016/j.imic.2012.11.006 .
↑ The Book of Ebenezer Le Page

External links

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[Johnson-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Johnson, Henry (2021). "Performing Jurisdictional Politics in the Bailiwick of Guernsey: A Study of Anthems and Stamps" (PDF). Transformations (35): 8–11. ISSN 1444-3775 . Retrieved 23 January 2022.

[cwgsy-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Local Anthem". Guernsey Scenes. Retrieved 23 January 2022.

[:0-3] 1 2 3 "Sarnia Cherie » History & Heritage". This Is Guernsey. Archived from the original on 24 October 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2011.

[BBC-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 BBC. "Sarnia Cherie on CD". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2022.

[5] Jones, Paul Anthony (7 November 2012). The British Isles: A Trivia Gazetteer. Summersdale Publishers Limited. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-85765-815-9.

[:1-6] 1 2 "Sarnia Cherie sing-along planned". Bailiwick Express. 9 May 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2022.

[7] "Sarnia Cherie | Guernsey". The Sarnian. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2022.

[8] Johnson, Henry (December 2012). ""The Group from the West": Song, endangered language and sonic activism on Guernsey". Journal of Marine and Island Cultures. 1 (2): 99–112. doi: 10.1016/j.imic.2012.11.006 .

[9] The Book of Ebenezer Le Page

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