Beloved Isle Cayman

Beloved Isle Cayman
Territorial anthem of the Cayman Islands
LyricsLeila Ross-Shier
MusicLeila Ross-Shier
Adopted1993

"Beloved Isle Cayman" is the official national song of the Cayman Islands, composed by Leila Ross-Shier in 1930. It became the official national song when the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms, Flag and National Song Law was passed in 1993. As a British Overseas Territory, the official national anthem is "God Save the King".[1]

History

Leila Ross-Shier composed "Beloved Isle Cayman", and for many years the song was regarded as the Cayman Islands' unofficial national song.[2] The lyrics include the phrases "soft, fresh breezes", "verdant trees", and "blue Caribbean Sea".[1] It became the official national song in 1993, when the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms, Flag and National Song Law was passed.[2] Formal recognition arrived in 1993, when the legislative assembly passed the original Coat of Arms, Flag and National Song Law; section 3 of the current 2005 revision defines the "National Song" as "Beloved Isle Cayman" and authorises the Governor in Cabinet to issue guidelines on occasions when it should be sung.[3]

Ross-Shier (1886–1968) was a prominent cultural figure whose career spanned education, librarianship and civic administration; she also organised concerts, served as a church organist, and supported women's suffrage.[4] She was recognised in 1965 with a certificate of honour for her contributions to music in Cayman, and later received the Heroes Day Spirit of Excellence Award in 2009; in 2021, she was declared the Cayman Islands' tenth National Hero.[4] In November 2023, the Cayman Islands National Museum opened the exhibition "I Cannot Thee Forget: Ms Leila Ross-Shier", named after a line from the national song she composed; it featured artefacts, preserved family heirlooms, replications of originals, and a video presentation describing her influence on community life and development.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "National Song". Cayman Islands Government. Archived from the original on 2019-11-25. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
  2. ^ a b Levy, Jewel (17 August 2016). "Songs and poems of a simple island life". Cayman Compass. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  3. ^ Coat of Arms, Flag and National Song Law (2005 Revision) (PDF) (Report). George Town: Cayman Islands Government. 2005. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Gallego, Shanda (27 November 2023). "Museum exhibition to mark legacy of national song composer". Cayman Compass. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

[1] - Beloved Isle Cayman arranged by John McLaughlin Williams and recorded by the Northwest Sinfonia, John McLaughlin Williams, Conductor

[2] I Cannot Thee Forget (documentary about Leila Ross Shier by filmmaker Badir Awe

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