09-20-2005, 09:20 AM
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#14 (permalink)
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“Wrong is right.”
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I thought you folks might be interested to read about Mr. Calixa Lavallee, composer of our beloved anthem -
http://www3.sympatico.ca/goweezer/ca...anlavallee.htm
And here's an excerpt:
Quote:
O Canada!
The Man Behind the Music
Calixa Lavallée was the man who composed the music for Canada's National Anthem. He was a 'Canadien Errant', or a man who had left Canada to seek greener pastures elsewhere, but returned when he realized that the green pastures he sought were in his own back yard. By the time he returned to Canada, Lavallée had earned a well-deserved reputation as a musician and composer both in France and the United States. Among various 'occasional' pieces and songs, Lavallée composed several operettas and at least one symphony. He was famous as a pianist, organist, and teacher, and, after returning to Canada, wanted to found the first Canadian Conservatory of Music....
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Also, did you know that there are other versions of the words that are not dirty??? I found a history of the anthem itself!
http://www3.sympatico.ca/goweezer/canada/cananhist.htm
Excerpt:
Quote:
The music was published in Toronto in 1906 by Whaley and Royce. Included were the original French text and an English translation supplied by Toronto doctor Thomas Bedford Richardson. The Mendelssohn Choir perfomed the song with the English lyrics and Richardson was complimented by both Judge Routhier and the Quebec press.
Dr. Richardson's Version
O Canada! Our fathers' land of old
Thy brow is crown'd with leaves of red and gold.
Beneath the shade of the Holy Cross
Thy children own their birth
No stains thy glorious annals gloss
Since valour shield thy hearth.
Almighty God! On thee we call
Defend our rights, forfend this nation's thrall,
Defend our rights, forfend this nation's thrall.
In 1908, Collier's Weekly began publishing a Canadian version of its magazine, and the inugural edition held a competition for English text set to Lavellée's music. Mercy E. Powell McCulloch won the competition and her poem was printed, but the lyrics didn't catch on.
McCulloch Version
O Canada! in praise of thee we sing;
From echoing hills our anthems proudly ring.
With fertile plains and mountains grand,
With lakes and rivers clear,
Eternal beauty, thou dost stand
Throughout the changing year.
Lord God of Hosts! We now implore
Bless our dear land this day and evermore,
Bless our dear land this day and evermore.
Many new versions followed, including one by poet Wilfred Campbell and Toronto critic Augustus Bridle. Other versions were written for Quebec City's tercentennary in 1908. One version became quite popular in British Columbia:
Buchan Version
O Canada, our heritage, our love.
Thy worth we praise all other lands above.
From sea to sea throughout their length,
From Pole to borderland,
At Britain's side, whate'er betide,
Unflinchingly we'll stand.
With hearts we sing, "God save the King",
Guide then one Empire wide, do we implore,
And prosper Canada from shore to shore.
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One thing the U.S.A. doesn't have on us is how exciting our history is!! That's for sure! 
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Warden Gentiles: "It? Perfectly innocent. But I can see how, if our roles were reversed, I might have you beaten with a pillowcase full of batteries."
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