Colombian musician José Rozo Contreras [es] reviewed the scores and prepared the transcriptions for symphonic band, which was adopted as an official version by decree 1963 of 4 July 1946.

One of the first antecedents of the national anthem was presented on 20 July 1836, when the Spanish Francisco Villalba, who had arrived in Colombia with a theatre company, composed a patriotic song for New Granada.

In 1847, English composer and painter Henry Price, founder of the Philharmonic Society, put music to some verses written by Santiago Pérez in an anthem called "Canción nacional" ("National Song"), which was not widely accepted, due to its simplicity.

The jurors for this contest were politician José María Quijano, poet Rafael Pombo and musician Carlos Schloss.

In the reviews published in different newspapers, it was stated that none of the anthems performed aroused enthusiasm in the spirit of the jury and that for this reason the competition was declared void.

The first prize was obtained by Daniel Figueroa, who composed an anthem with lyrics from various poems that premiered at the Plaza de Bolívar with a choir of 2,000 children.

[15] For the song, Domingo Torres asked him to score a poem called Himno Patriótico ("Patriotic Hymn"), written by President of the Republic Rafael Núñez, in honour of Cartagena, which was composed to be declared publicly during the celebration of 11 November 1850 and published in the newspaper La Democracia, when Núñez was still secretary of government of the Province of Cartagena.

Cayeron las cadenas de La libertad sublime Derrama en todo el orbe Su bendecida luz.

[20] Prior to that, Síndici had demanded that José Domingo Torres look for the author of the poem so that he would adjust the verses according to the necessary arrangement for a melody and give them a national connotation.

[21] For the composition of the anthem, Síndici retired to his Hacienda "El Prado" ("The Meadow") in Nilo, Cundinamarca, carrying a Dolt Graziano Tubi harmonium.

The original score in the key of E-flat major and four-beat measure (tempo di marcia) currently rests in a room in the National Museum of Colombia.

[22] The national anthem was premiered on 11 November 1887 during the celebration of the independence of Cartagena with a choir of children from three primary schools, students of Síndici.

[23] This first interpretation of the anthem was performed at the Teatro de Variedades (Theatre of Varieties) of the public school of Santa Clara,[24] which was located in the current carrera octava (Eighth Avenue), on the site of the Church of Santa Clara [es], adjacent to the Convent and to the Astronomical Observatory [es], in the jurisdiction of the Bogotá Cathedral neighbourhood.

To that end, Minister of Government Felipe Fermín Paul was commissioned to organise a presentation of the anthem on 6 December of the same year at 9 p.m. in the grade room of the Palacio de San Carlos, currently located in the Museum of Colonial Art [es].

Thus, an essay by Manuel María Fajardo from 1908, the patriotic primer by Camilo Villegas y González from 1910, a text of selected poems by Lisímaco Palau from 1912 and a hymn book by Ernesto Murillo from 1917 already cite the song composed by Oreste Síndici as the national anthem of Colombia.

The plan was approved in the debate of the public instruction commission and later by the plenary session of the Congress of the Republic, making it official by Law 33 of 18 October 1920, which was sanctioned by President Marco Fidel Suárez.

As a result of this investigation, the government issued executive decree number 1963 of 4 July 1946, stating that the official scores and the transcriptions for symphony orchestra of the anthem made by Norte de Santander musician José Rozo Contreras [es] in 1933 are the most faithful to the originals written by Oreste Síndici.

Pero este gran principio; "El rey no es soberano"[e] resuena, y los que sufren bendicen su pasión.

La virgen sus cabellos arranca en agonía y de su amor viuda los cuelga del ciprés.

Coro [ˈkoɾo] [o ˈɡloɾja immaɾseˈsible] [o ˈhubilo immoɾˈtal] [en ˈsuɾkos de doˈloɾes] 𝄆 [el ˈbjen heɾˈmina ˈʝa] 𝄇

[49] In accordance with decree 1722 of 16 July 1942, all schools must begin their tasks on the first Monday of each month with a brief but solemn act during which the flag is raised to the chords of the national anthem, sung by the whole community.

[50] According to the Protocol Manual of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the presentation of the credentials of a new ambassador, the performance of the national anthem is assigned to the Band of Musicians of the Presidential Guard Battalion.

Its lyrical inspiration, typical of the time of its composition, does not adopt a normative content of an abstract nature that forces its realisation by the social conglomerate.

"A 2008 bill proposed that citizens be ordered to take a firm stance with their heads held high and their right hands over their hearts when listening to the national anthem.

[61] In addition to these scores, Rozo himself published a version for a cappella mixed choir for soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices.

[62] The national anthem has been performed with an accordion and a vallenato rhythm on several occasions, notably within the framework of the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata.

[65] A version of the anthem in rock rhythm by the group Ekhymosis, of which Juanes was a member, made in 1995 for the radio station Radioacktiva generated controversy in various media.

[67] In the National Concert of the Bicentennial of Colombia in July 2010, different versions of the anthem were heard in various cities of the country, in various languages and in various styles of interpretation.

In poetry, two compositions can be mentioned in honour of the national anthem that were published in the newspaper La Pluma de Cali in June 1944, which were included by educator Evangelista Quintana in his article titled La escuela pública da a Colombia su Himno Nacional ("The Public School Gives Colombia Its National Anthem").

[80] A short film produced by Rafael Enrique Galán, which was selected by the Ministry of Culture in a competition by the Cinematographic Development Fund in October 2009, was titled ¡Oh gloria inmarcesible!,[81] alluding to the first verse of the national anthem.