O Canada: Difference between revisions
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==Proposed changes to lyrics== |
==Proposed changes to lyrics== |
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In recent years, the English version of the anthem has been criticized, by [[Feminism|feminists]] such as Senator [[Vivienne Poy]], as being [[non-sexist language|sexist]].<ref>{{cite web | last =Poy | first =Vivienne | authorlink = | coauthors = | year =2002 | url =http://www.sen.parl.gc.ca/vpoy/english/O_Canada/O_Canada.htm | title =The National Anthem Debate | format =HTML | work = | publisher =The Senate of Canada | accessdate =April 23 | accessyear =2006}}</ref> She has proposed changing the line "true patriot love in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command", "in thy children command", or "in all of thine command". |
In recent years, the English version of the anthem has been criticized, by [[Feminism|feminists]] such as Senator [[Vivienne Poy]], as being [[non-sexist language|sexist]].<ref>{{cite web | last =Poy | first =Vivienne | authorlink = | coauthors = | year =2002 | url =http://www.sen.parl.gc.ca/vpoy/english/O_Canada/O_Canada.htm | title =The National Anthem Debate | format =HTML | work = | publisher =The Senate of Canada | accessdate =April 23 | accessyear =2006}}</ref> She has proposed changing the line "true patriot love in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command", "in thy children command", or "in all of thine command". |
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The anthem's religious references (to God in English, and to the Christian cross in French) have been criticized by secularists<ref>http://humaniststudies.org/enews/?id=242&article=7 Institute for Humanist Studies</ref> and other changes to the lyrics have been proposed to make them more inclusive.<ref>See http://makepeace.ca/anthem.html</ref> |
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==Media== |
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Revision as of 05:19, 22 November 2007
"O Canada" is the national anthem of Canada. Calixa Lavallée composed the music in 1880 as a patriotic song for that year's St. Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony. The first lyrics that were composed for the song were written in French by Sir Adolphe Basile Routhier in 1880 for the same ceremony. An English translation did not appear until 1906, and it was two more years until Robert Stanley Weir penned the English lyrics, which are not a translation of the French. Weir's words were altered in 1980 to their present form, although the French lyrics remain unaltered. The choice of "O Canada" for the national anthem did not occur until 1980, when it was signed into law during the Canada Day celebrations that year. It was modified, along with the royal anthem of Canada, God Save the Queen, to be part of the Vice Regal Salute.
Official lyrics
| Official (English) | Official (French) | Translation of French lyrics[1] | Common Bilingual (English and French) | Inuktitut lyrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
O Canada! |
Ô Canada! |
O Canada! |
O Canada! |
O'Kanata nangmini Nunavut piqujatii |
History
The original French lyrics were written by Sir Adolphe Basile Routhier, as a French-Canadian patriotic song for the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society. The French "Ô Canada" was first performed on June 24, 1880, at a Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day banquet in Quebec City, but did not become Canada's official national anthem until July 1, 1980. When it was made the official anthem, most English-Canadians were surprised to learn that it did not already have such status. The Canadian government bought the rights to the lyrics and music for only one dollar.
Since 1867, "God Save the King" and "The Maple Leaf Forever" had been competing as unofficial national anthems in English Canada. "O Canada" joined that fray when school children sang it for the 1901 tour of Canada by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall (later King George V and Queen Mary). Five years later Whaley and Royce in Toronto published the music with the French text and a first translation into English by Dr. Thomas Bedford Richardson. Then, in 1908, Collier's Weekly magazine held a competition to write English lyrics for "O Canada" and all kinds of versions were submitted. The competition was won by Mercy E. Powell McCulloch, but her version did not take. In 1917, Albert Watson wrote the hymn Lord of the Lands to the tune of O Canada (see external link below).
The English version that gained the widest currency was written in 1908 by Robert Stanley Weir, a lawyer and at the time Recorder of the City of Montreal. A slightly modified version of his poem was published in an official form for the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation in 1927, and gradually became the most generally accepted anthem in English-speaking Canada, winning out over the alternatives by the 1960s. "God Save the Queen" is now Canada's royal anthem, while "The Maple Leaf Forever" is virtually forgotten.
Many have noted that the opening theme of "O Canada", composed in c. 1880, bears a great resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" (March of the Priests), from Die Zauberflöte, composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Some say that Mozart's tune inspired Lavallee to compose his melody.
The line "The True North strong and free" is based on Alfred, Lord Tennyson's description of Canada as "That True North whereof we lately heard".[2] In the context of Tennyson's poem, "true" means "loyal" or "faithful".
Official changes to the English version were recommended in 1968 by a Special Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Commons. The National Anthem Act of 1980 added a religious reference to the English lyrics and the phrase "From far and wide, O Canada" to replace one of the somewhat tedious repetitions of the phrase "We stand on guard." This change was controversial with traditionalists, and for several years afterwards it was not uncommon to hear people still singing the old lyrics at public events. By contrast, the French version never wavered from its original.
At official government/military occasions, it is not unusual for the anthem to be sung bilingually; it is sung in French up to (and including) the line "Des plus brillants exploits", at which time the lyrics switch to English.
Two provinces have adopted Latin translations of phrases from the English lyrics as their mottos: Manitoba —Gloriosus et liber (glorious and free)— and Alberta —Fortis et liber (strong and free). Similarly, the motto of Canadian Forces Land Force Command is Vigilamus pro te (we stand on guard for thee).
Weir's lyrics have three additional verses, but these are rarely sung.
O Canada! Where pines and maples grow,
Great prairies spread and Lordly rivers flow!
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western sea!
The land of hope for all who toil,
The true North strong and free!
God keep our land, glorious and free.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies,
May Stalwart sons, and gentle maidens rise.
To keep thee steadfast thro' the years,
From East to Western sea.
Our own beloved native land,
Our true North strong and free!
God keep our land, glorious and free.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our Dominion, in thy loving care.
Help us to find, O God, in thee,
A lasting rich reward.
As waiting for the better day,
We ever stand on guard.
God keep our land, glorious and free.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee![3]
Performances
Singers at public events often mix the English and French lyrics to represent Canada's linguistic duality. For example, one form is singing the first two and last three lines in English; the last two lines could also alternate between English and French. Roger Doucette, the former singer of national anthems at the Montreal Forum indoor stadium for the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, almost always sang the first seven lines in French, and completed the song in English, and this practice continues in the team's new arena. Performers at Ottawa Senators games also commonly sing partly in French and partly in English. This was also the case at the Turin Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony where most of the song was sung in French by British Columbia Opera star Ben Heppner.
At a Calgary Flames game in February of 2007, young Cree singer Akina Shirt became the first person ever to perform "O Canada" in a Canadian Aboriginal language at a National Hockey League contest.[4]
"The producer of the Opening Ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary was so impressed with Daniel T'len's broadcast recording he invited him to sing "O Canada" in Southern Tutchone (a Yukon Indian dialect). That performance was heard by hundreds of millions of people around the world."
-From "The History of CBC Northern Service Broadcast Recordings" by Perry Linttell http://www.brandonu.ca/Library/cjns/8.2/lintell.pdf
Both "O Canada" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" are routinely played before sporting events between American and Canadian teams; the host nation's anthem is usually played last. However, "O Canada" is here normally performed entirely in English, with the aforementioned exceptions of games in Ottawa and Montreal. Some NASCAR races in Canada and the Northern United States, as well as NFL teams residing near the border, frequently do the same because of significant fan bases in both countries. New Hampshire International Speedway is a notable example. Airshows on both sides of the border also usually play both anthems, as there are usually participants from both countries.
The fight song at Colby College in Waterville, Maine is "Hail, Colby, Hail" and is sung to the tune of "O Canada".
Proposed changes to lyrics
In recent years, the English version of the anthem has been criticized, by feminists such as Senator Vivienne Poy, as being sexist.[5] She has proposed changing the line "true patriot love in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command", "in thy children command", or "in all of thine command".
The anthem's religious references (to God in English, and to the Christian cross in French) have been criticized by secularists[6] and other changes to the lyrics have been proposed to make them more inclusive.[7]
Media
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See also
- Read full French texts on the French Wikisource
- "The Maple Leaf Forever"
References
- ^ Heritage Canada Translation of O, Canada's French Lyrics into English. Retrieved on July 3, 2007.
- ^ "To the Queen". Retrieved April 23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "O Canada (Long Version)" (PDF). Retrieved February 19.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ CBC News, Edmonton girl to sing anthem in NHL first at Saddledome, February 1, 2007. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
- ^ Poy, Vivienne (2002). "The National Anthem Debate" (HTML). The Senate of Canada. Retrieved April 23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ http://humaniststudies.org/enews/?id=242&article=7 Institute for Humanist Studies
- ^ See http://makepeace.ca/anthem.html
External links
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
News from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
Texts from Wikisource
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Resources from Wikiversity
