The federations of the teams participating in the 2023 World Cup have given initial positive feedback on the new versions of the national anthems sung by children, the organizers explained during a press conference on Wednesday in Paris after a first weekend of “confusion” in certain stadiums.
Children’s voices preserved
“We are currently finalizing reworked, simplified versions, while preserving the children’s voices. There will no longer be a version sung in canon, which destabilized the spectators. There is a series of rearrangements, a removal of polyphony and a more assertive musical dimension”, detailed the president of the France 2023 organizing committee Jacques Rivoal after criticism in the media and on social networks.
“It was a disaster, a fiasco…”, notably tackled the rugby man of Sky Sport Francesco Pierantozzi, perplexed by the juxtaposition of the voices of the different choirs with that of the public in the stadiums. “We are reworking these anthems, we are in the process of proposing them to the teams to obtain their assent, hoping that this version will be retained,” explained Jacques Rivoal, the federations otherwise having the possibility of opting for a more classic instrumental version .
A reworked anthem for the Blues
Facing Uruguay on Thursday in Lille, the Blues chose the option of a reworked anthem. “We know that World Rugby is working on this subject and we have already validated a recorded version while preserving the voices of children. This is what is agreed, this is what we expect and hope,” said justified the manager of the XV of France Raphaël Ibanez.
“The feedback from the first federations consulted is positive in relation to the work undertaken, which preserves the voices of children,” assured the general director of the organizing committee Julien Collette. “The scenario is that all the federations, we hope, choose these versions.”
“The canon version was artistically very promoted by the Comic Opera (partner of the choir scrum project, Editor’s note). It had been tested and validated by the federations”, he recalled, observing that on Friday “the choir revival by nearly 80,000 fans created a bit of confusion in the experience.”