Ode to Autumn Love

"Ode to Autumn Love" is the national anthem of Petalcap Vale. A warm, primarily instrumental piece traditionally played with with the medium six-belled xylem horn, the later lyrics to the ode as modern Vale Verdials know it were written both as a way of expressing both the composer's enjoyment of autumn trysts and his love of the Vale itself when the seasons are changing.

Historical Details

Background

The orchestral piece "Ode to Autumn Love" was composed by the famous musician Viktoria Ochoy near the end of the Classical Verdial era. The song was popular in its creator's own time and, after her death, slipped into the public domain. Later, the poet Robert Alvi wrote lyrics to go with the tones of the xylem horn, recontextualizing the Ode in the manner in which it has come to be known into the present day. In 9789 AR, the first few stanzas of Alvi's version - with minimal changes to reflect the changing vernacular of Valespeak - were made the official national anthem for Petalcap Vale.

Legacy

Though it makes no direct referrences to specific individuals, there has been some debate over the years about whether the lyrical version of Ode to Autumn Love is entirely appropriate as a national anthem because it speaks about interpersonal love as much as love for one's country. Those on the pro-Ode side of the debate typically point out that a nation encompasses a people and culture as much as it does a chunk of terrain, meaning that, in the pared-down context employed as the national anthem, referrences to people could be regarded as references to the Vale Verdial people as a whole. Those of the opposing view don't usually want to replace the Ode outright, but would prefer to use a different selection of stanas or suggest small changes in the wording to better reflect the intent of an anthem. Alternatively, some would wish for some phrases to be altered to reflect the inclusion of the Blackthorn Verdial and other groups as part of the Vale for the purpose of national identity, but this stance walks close to more politically-charged issues of local sovereignty than most would want to think about when singing along at a Terraceball game.

Type

Record, Musical (Music, Sheet)

Medium

Analog Recording, Audio

Ratification Date

9789 AR

Location

Petalcap Vale (municipality)