Henrik Anker Bjerregaard

Together with Conrad Nicolai Schwach and Maurits Hansen he was among the most important lyricists after Norway's independence in 1814, in the generation before Henrik Wergeland and Johan Sebastian Welhaven.

[4][5] According to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Bjerregaard had a "varied talent", and his body of work contains "some charming studies from nature, and admirable patriotic songs".

[6] In 1820, Bjerregaard had entered a contest to write the new national anthem of Norway, and his hymn Sønner af Norge, melody written by Christian Blom, was selected as the winner.

[1] The song stood as the national anthem of Norway until 1864, when Ja, vi elsker dette landet was written.

Bjerregaard also wrote plays, including Fjeldeventyret (1825) and Magnus Barfods Sønner (1830), and was a theatre critic.