At the handover ceremony, the 95-year-old composer, accompanied by his family, arrived in a wheelchair due to his frail health. He did not speak at the event. His daughter, journalist Hong Tuyen, conveyed his wishes: "My father always believed that music truly lives when it belongs to the community. Therefore, donating the copyright and usage rights of this song to Nhan Dan newspaper allows us to continue his spirit. We are entrusting the work to a public institution with the mission and ability to preserve and utilize it for non-commercial purposes." Tuyen explained that the family chose the newspaper because of her father's close ties to it. "Nhu co Bac trong ngay dai thang" was completed on the night of 28/4/1975 and first broadcast on the Voice of Vietnam radio at 5:05 p.m. on 30/4/1975. Just two days after the victory, the song was printed in the 2/5/1975 issue of Nhan Dan newspaper, spreading its reach throughout the provinces and becoming increasingly familiar.

Witnessing 50,000 people singing the song together at the "To quoc trong tim" (Fatherland in my heart) concert on 10/8 deeply moved the composer and his family, inspiring their desire for the newspaper to continue sharing the song on similar occasions.

"My father was overjoyed when signing the copyright transfer to the newspaper. His hands usually tremble, making it difficult to write even a single word. Yet that day, he clearly wrote: 'Donated to Nhan Dan newspaper. Signed: Pham Tuyen'," his daughter shared.

Composer Pham Tuyen with his daughter on the afternoon of 29/8. Photo: Ha Thu

Before donating the song, Pham Tuyen's family entrusted copyright collection to several organizations, including the Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC). For years, the composer received a substantial income from royalties, around 120 million VND annually.

Composer Do Hong Quan, president of the Vietnam Writers' Association, spoke about the song's enduring impact at the event: "When the song was composed, we were students at the Vietnam School of Music. On victory day, our youth group walked to Hoan Kiem Lake, singing 'Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh'. Those are unforgettable memories. That melody has stayed with us, becoming a part of many generations."

Musician Duc Trinh, president of the Vietnam Musicians' Association, revealed that "Nhu co Bac trong ngay dai thang" received the most votes in a poll to honor revolutionary songs, among 50 selected works, to be held on 3/9.

Handwritten copy of "Nhu co Bac trong ngay dai thang" by composer Pham Tuyen. Photo: Ha Thu

The song was written during the historic April of 1975. On 28/4/1975, upon hearing that pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung had successfully bombed Tan Son Nhat airport, Pham Tuyen was moved by the sense of impending victory. That night, not wanting to disturb his family's sleep, he went out to the hallway to reflect and compose. On 30/4/1975, journalist Tran Lam, then editor-in-chief of the Voice of Vietnam radio, called and asked, "Now that liberation day has come, do you have any compositions? I'd like to broadcast them." The song was subsequently performed by artists Tuyet Thanh and Dang Hung, with Cao Viet Bach conducting the orchestra.

Poet Tran Dang Khoa once remarked: "The song is like a joyful cry of people of all ages and backgrounds. Both the melody and lyrics are very simple."

Ten years later, the composer was awarded the third-class Labor Order for the song. In his music notebook, he wrote a solemn note on the page. The Labor Order is usually awarded for long-term contributions, but in this case, it was given for the creation of a single song. Despite the lack of monetary or material value, the composer's family felt immense happiness because of its spiritual significance. While the song's title is "Nhu co Bac trong ngay dai thang", many people mistakenly think the opening line, "Nhu co Bac Ho trong ngay vui dai thang", is the title. Journalist Hong Tuyen said: "My father was never bothered by this. To him, hearing people sing his song was already a great joy."

Ha Thu