God Bless Holy Columbia

God Bless Holy Columbia is the royal anthem of Lower Columbia.

History
"God Bless Holy Columbia" is set to the tune of the Medieval hymn "Ave Verum Corpus" as arranged by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The lyrics are of obscure origin, but it is widely believed that they were written by either King Edward, the founder of Lower Columbia, or someone in his immediate family. Its first known use was among Lower Columbian soldiers during King David I's campaigns of expansion in the 1750s and 1760s. The anthem was first set to its modern tune soon after scores of Mozart's arrangement first arrived in Lower Columbia, although it would remain an obscure song until the 19th century.

The first public performance of the anthem was at the coronation ceremony of King John II, the son of King Brandon I. It was performed by the choir of the National Cathedral, accompanied by the cathedral's pipe organ. Many in the audience were struck by the song's beauty, including several members of Parliament. Those members introduced a bill to the Federal Assembly the following week to make the song Lower Columbia's official national anthem. By the end of autumn 1835, both houses had passed the bill, and King John signed it into law on 15 December 1835. God Bless Holy Columbia remained the country's national anthem until 1929, when it was officially replaced by "Jerusalem" and made the royal anthem instead.

Lyrics
God bless, God bless holy Columbia For we always have been loyal to you. As our trees are fed on rain showers From highest heaven above We are led by our king's righteous powers And he is blest by your love. To our God and to our monarch We render our hearts and hands.

Performances
Since the adoption of "Jerusalem" as Lower Columbia's official national anthem, performances of "God Bless Holy Columbia" have become infrequent. The hymn's complicated choral arrangement further contributes to its decline in popularity, as many Lower Columbians prefer the musically much simpler "Jerusalem". However, it is still commonly performed at events of special importance to the royal family or the monarchy, including the annual Monarchy Day celebrations in cities across the kingdom.