Do you know Iceland’s national anthem?
Gunnar, with his parents and brother. Photo: Twitter
Eight-year-old Gunnar Eggink now does, as he is one of the young mascots escorting the two teams out onto the turf at tonight’s Euro 2016 qualifier between Iceland and the Netherlands.
Gunnar lives in the Netherlands and has an Iceland mother and a Dutch father.
In order to be able sing along with our boys in blue – and the 4,000-odd Icelandic fans who have made the journey to Amsterdam – Gunnar has been learning the tune and words to Iceland’s national anthem, called ‘Lofsöngur’.
The Icelandic national anthem is based on a poem by Icelandic poet Matthías Jochumsson (1835-1920), put to music by Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson (1847-1927).
Below is a video of Gunnar practising ahead of his appearance this evening and a full version of ‘Lofsöngur’ with Icelandic and English lyrics.
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9FkbXTDzKBc" width="420"></iframe><div id="embedded-remove"> <p> </p> </div>VIDEO - Gunnar mag vanavond ook nog t veld op met de spelers #NedIJs Moet ie t IJsl. volkslied wél ff oefenen. #hvnl pic.twitter.com/oPmTmsBtoK
— Esther Monsma (@EstherHVNL) September 3, 2015
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