Virgin Islands March

Virgin Islands March

Regional anthem of the United States Virgin Islands
LyricsCollectively
MusicSam Williams and Alton Adams, 1920s
Adopted1963; 61 years ago (1963)
Audio sample
Instrumental version (Two verses)

The "Virgin Islands March" is the regional anthem of the United States Virgin Islands. The song was composed by Sam Williams and U.S. Virgin Island native Alton Adams in the 1920s.[1][2] It served as an unofficial regional anthem of the U.S. Virgin Islands until 1963, when it was officially recognized by Legislative Act.[3]

The song itself is a brisk martial march, consisting of an introductory instrumental section followed by a very cheerful melody. The Guardian reporter Alex Marshall compared it favorably to some national anthems, suggesting that it was reminiscent of the music of the Disney film Mary Poppins.[4]

Since the U.S. Virgin Islands is a U.S. insular territory, the national anthem is still the U.S. one, "The Star-Spangled Banner". During international sporting events, only the "Virgin Islands March" is played.

  1. ^ "U.S. Virgin Islands". 7 May 2013.
  2. ^ "The Virgin Islands March". Virgin Islands Air National Guard. Archived from the original on 10 March 2005. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  3. ^ "Virgin Islands (U. S.) - nationalanthems.info". 2 January 2007. Archived from the original on 2 January 2007.
  4. ^ Marshall, Alex (11 August 2008). "And the winning anthem is ..." The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 June 2011.