Leila Ross-Shier composed "Beloved Isle Cayman", and for many years the song was regarded as the Cayman Islands' unofficial national song.[2] The lyrics include the phrases "soft, fresh breezes", "verdant trees", and "blue Caribbean Sea".[1] It became the official national song in 1993, when the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms, Flag and National Song Law was passed.[2] Formal recognition arrived in 1993, when the legislative assembly passed the original Coat of Arms, Flag and National Song Law; section 3 of the current 2005 revision defines the "National Song" as "Beloved Isle Cayman" and authorises the Governor in Cabinet to issue guidelines on occasions when it should be sung.[3]
Ross-Shier (1886–1968) was a prominent cultural figure whose career spanned education, librarianship and civic administration; she also organised concerts, served as a church organist, and supported women's suffrage.[4] She was recognised in 1965 with a certificate of honour for her contributions to music in Cayman, and later received the Heroes Day Spirit of Excellence Award in 2009; in 2021, she was declared the Cayman Islands' tenth National Hero.[4] In November 2023, the Cayman Islands National Museum opened the exhibition "I Cannot Thee Forget: Ms Leila Ross-Shier", named after a line from the national song she composed; it featured artefacts, preserved family heirlooms, replications of originals, and a video presentation describing her influence on community life and development.[4]
