March On, Bahamaland
"March On, Bahamaland" is the national anthem of the Bahamas. Timothy Gibson composed the music and authored the lyrics. It was adopted as the national anthem in 1973, when the country gained independence from the United Kingdom. History The Bahamas became a crown colony within the British Empire in 1717. Internal autonomy was eventually granted to the islands in 1964. Negotiations on independence commenced eight years later, when the Progressive Liberal Party emerged victorious in the 1972 elections after campaigning in favour of sovereignty. Consequently, a contest was held to determine an anthem for the forthcoming state. In the end, lyrics and music written by Timothy Gibson were selected. Gibson was a school music teacher and also wrote the music to the country's national song, "God Bless Our Sunny Clime", together with E. Clement Bethel. The song was officially adopted in 1973, the year the country gained independence. One of the first public occasions where the anthem was played was at the midnight flag hoisting ceremony held at Clifford Park in Nassau on 10 July 1973, marking the end of British rule over the Bahamas. Since the Bahamas continued to be a Commonwealth realm after independence, "God Save the Queen"