James James James James James James (also known by the bardic name "Iago ap Ieuan") (1832–1902) was a harpist and musician from Pontypridd, Wales. He composed the tune of the Welsh national anthem "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau" (also known as "Land of my Fathers"). Today, the same tune is also used for the Breton anthem, "Bro Gozh ma Zadoù", and the Cornish anthem, "Bro Goth agan Tasow". James was born on 4 November 1832, at the 'Ancient Druid' inn, Hollybush, in the parish of Bedwellty, Monmouthshire. He was the son of Evan James (1809–1878) and Elizabeth Stradling of Caerphilly. His father, a
National anthem presence of the Monarch in some Commonwealth realms, was first performed in 1619 under the title "God Save the King". It is not officially the national anthem of the UK, though it became such through custom and usage. Spain's national anthem, the "Marcha Real" (The Royal March), written in 1761, was among the first to be adopted as such, in 1770. Denmark adopted the older of its two national anthems, "Kong Christian stod ved højen mast", in 1780; and "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem, was written in 1792 and adopted in 1795. Serbia became the first Eastern European nation