Tune of the Day: Du gamla, Du fria
Although the Swedish constitution makes no mention of a national anthem, “Du gamla, Du fria” (“Thou ancient, Thou free”) is universally recognized as the de facto national anthem of Sweden and is used, for example, at sporting events. It first began to win recognition as a patriotic song in the 1890s, and the issue of its status was debated back and forth up until the 1930s. In 1938, the Swedish radio company Sveriges Radio started playing it at the end of transmitting in the evenings, which marked the beginning of the de facto status as national anthem the song has had since.
The melody is a traditional tune from Västmanland, a historical province in middle Sweden, and was later arranged by Swedish composer Edvin Kallstenius.
Thanks to Finn for suggesting this tune!