French
DeutschBeloved Isle Cayman
 | |
Territorial anthem of the Cayman Islands | |
| Lyrics | Leila Ross-Shier |
|---|---|
| Music | Leila Ross-Shier |
| Adopted | 1993 |
| Audio sample | |
Instrumental | |
"Beloved Isle Cayman" is the official national song of the Cayman Islands, composed by Leila Ross-Shier in 1930. It became the official national song when the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms, Flag and National Song Law was passed in 1993. As a British Overseas Territory, the official national anthem is "God Save the King".[1]
History
[edit]The song was written and set to music in 1930 by Caymanian teacher and church organist Leila Ross-Shier, whose melody and pastoral imagery rapidly gained affection throughout the islands.[2] For more than six decades it functioned informally at public gatherings and school assemblies, symbolising local identity while the British anthem "God Save the King" remained the formal anthem of state.[2] Formal recognition arrived in 1993, when the legislative assembly passed the original Coat of Arms, Flag and National Song Law; section 3 of the current 2005 revision defines the "National Song" as "Beloved Isle Cayman" and authorises the Governor in Cabinet to issue guidelines on occasions when it should be sung.[3]
Ross-Shier (1886–1968) was a prominent cultural figure whose career spanned education, librarianship and civic administration; she also organised concerts, served as a Presbyterian organist and championed women's suffrage in the territory.[4] Her authorship of the national song earned early public acknowledgement with a Certificate of Honour in 1965, and retrospective accolades continued after her death, including a Spirit of Excellence award in 2009 and her proclamation as the Cayman Islands' tenth National Hero in 2021.[4] Her influence became evident in November 2023 when the Cayman Islands National Museum opened the exhibition "I Cannot Thee Forget: Ms Leila Ross-Shier", named after a line in the song's chorus and featuring family manuscripts, recordings and first-person testimonies about her impact on Caymanian life.[4]
Although brief—two stanzas and a refrain—the lyrics evoke "soft, fresh breezes", "verdant trees" and the surrounding "blue Caribbean Sea", themes that have encouraged their use in environmental speeches and heritage events as a musical shorthand for the islands' natural beauty and communal pride.[2][4] Public performances routinely close civic ceremonies, and broadcast outlets include the piece in daily programming schedules, ensuring that Ross-Shier's celebration of home remains interwoven with contemporary Caymanian identity.[2][4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "National Song". Cayman Islands Government. Archived from the original on 2019-11-25. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
- ^ a b c d Levy, Jewel (17 August 2016). "Songs and poems of a simple island life". Cayman Compass. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ Coat of Arms, Flag and National Song Law (2005 Revision) (PDF) (Report). George Town: Cayman Islands Government. 2005. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Gallego, Shanda (27 November 2023). "Museum exhibition to mark legacy of national song composer". Cayman Compass. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
External links
[edit]- Cayman Islands – nationalanthems.info