Icelandic composer Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson lived in Edinburgh during the 1870s, as the Scottish capital represented more opportunities for a fledgling musician than his home country. He resided in a Georgian-style townhouse in the city’s New Town, however, he probably never imagined that one of his pieces composed here would become his country’s national song. Lofsöngur (Hymn) would become the national anthem in 1944, following Iceland’s independence from Denmark. Its lyrics were written by Matthías Jochumsson, who would later be known as Iceland’s “national poet.” While Jochumsson and Sveinbjörnsson did know…
