Julie Andrews’ favourite song from ‘The Sound of Music’: “To me, it’s an anthem”
Julie Andrews is the woman that many of us wish had watched over us as a child, having witnessed her play a magical nanny in Mary Poppins and a delightful governess in The Sound of Music.
In fact, she was like a cinematic fairy godmother for many of us, a comforting presence with a repertoire of recognisable songs that perhaps soothed us to sleep or had us twisting our tongues in an attempt to spit out every syllable of ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’.
Andrews, who is now entering her 90th decade with a legacy as one of cinema’s greatest musical stars, cut her teeth on stage before bringing her talents to the big screen, and here her charm was made indelible. You can’t go wrong with putting on one of Andrews’ musicals if you’re in the mood for some home comforts; they’re as nostalgic and as sweet as biting into a chocolate bar you’ve not eaten since you were a kid.
The Sound of Music was a huge success in particular, sweeping the Academy Awards and garnering a dedicated fan base which has endured over the years. It helps that it’s jam-packed with songs that are easy to follow, like the wordplay-heavy ‘Do-Re-Mi’ and the whimsy-filled ‘My Favourite Things’, but the actor’s favourite track from the movie, adapted from the 1959 musical, is a much more tender number.
Andrews actually cites ‘Edelweiss’ as her favourite piece, which was written for the character of Georg von Trapp. It’s a quieter, more contemplative song which reflects on his love for Austria in the face of Nazi occupation, although some consider it a little too sentimental. Not Andrews though, who wrote in her book Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, “‘Edelweiss’ is the last song Oscar Hammerstein ever wrote, and it is my favourite song in the film, despite the fact that I only sing it with the von Trapp ensemble.”
She added, “I have, however, sung it many times in the years since. To me, it’s an anthem that speaks to one’s homeland, no matter where that may be, and it moves me deeply. I spent so much of my early life trying to unify my need for home with my commitment to work. These days, I’ve come to realise that home is a feeling as much as it is a place; it is as much about loving what I do as being where I am.”
The song draws upon the national flower of Australia, the white edelweiss, with von Trapp singing tenderly, “Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow/ Bloom and grow forever/ Edelweiss, edelweiss/ Bless my homeland forever”.
It’s a defiant track, with the children and Maria eventually joining in, singing, “Small and white, clean and bright/ You look happy to meet me”. While the song might not have the same catchy appeal as ‘So Long, Farewell’, ‘Edelweiss’ demonstrates a deeper level to the musical, which isn’t all show tunes but acts as a firm reminder of the atrocities of the Nazis, whose oppressive nature von Trapp did all he could to resist.
