| Hymn to the United Nations | |
| Composer: | Pau Casals |
| Music Date: | 1971 |
| Author: | W. H. Auden |
| Lyrics Date: | 1971 |
| Sound: | Hymn_to_the_United_Nations.ogg |
| Sound Title: | Instrumental version |
The Hymn to the United Nations is an anthem composed to mark the 26th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
On the request of then United Nations Secretary-General U Thant, a Hymn to the United Nations was performed on the occasion of its 26th anniversary, on 24 October 1971, by Pau Casals, the lyrics to which were penned by the poet W. H. Auden.[1] [2]
Thant first approached Casals, who was a personal friend, looking to create a hymn to peace and hoping for the song to be based on the preamble of the Charter of the United Nations. Thant later commissioned Auden to write the poem after Casals requested one to set to music. Auden completed his work in three days time. The finished work, scored for chorus and orchestra, takes approximately seven minutes to play. However, there were never any plans to adopt the song as the organization's official anthem.[3] [4]