"Lofsöngur" ("Hymn"), also known as "Ó Guð vors lands" ("O, God of Our Land"), is the national anthem of Iceland. The lyrics are by Matthías Jochumsson and the music by Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson. The anthem contains three stanzas, but only the first one is commonly sung.
The melody is by many considered difficult to sing, and requires a vocal range of a minor fourteenth. Many Icelandic people claim to be unable to sing it. That the anthem is essentially a hymn has been the subject of controversy in recent times, but proponents point to the fact that Iceland has a state church and that Christianity is by far the most popular religion.
Buildings - Novelty / Interesting, Events - Historical
Links: en.wikipedia.org
By: Dania