Gordon Nore
Senior Master
This odd little news item caught my eye this morning over coffee. The current government is considering a change to Canada's national anthem, O Canada.
This is actually the second time in my life that the English lyrics will have been changed. Back in the early eighties, the refrain was altered...
to
Actually, that seemed a strange change to me for the times, and that I stopped singing the anthem aloud.
Various revision discussed here in this Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_canada
OTTAWAThree days after Canadians belted out O Canada to celebrate the nations Olympic hockey win, Stephen Harpers Conservatives are asking whether the anthem should be changed.
The phrase In all thy sons command has some women calling for a gender-neutral version, Industry Minister Tony Clement says, citing an email from a constituent.
For 50 years ..... Ive listened to our anthem and felt excluded by the line, Tina Prietz, 60, of Huntsville, Ont., wrote to Clement. Yes, youve guessed it, Im female.
The Conservative government said in Wednesdays throne speech it will ask Parliament to examine the original wording of the anthem. Officials said later a parliamentary committee will study whether the phrase In all thy sons command should be changed to Thou dost in us command, which the Prime Ministers Office says is the wording from the original version.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...atives-eye-new-lyrics-for-our-national-anthem
This is actually the second time in my life that the English lyrics will have been changed. Back in the early eighties, the refrain was altered...
O Canada
glorious and free
to
God keep our land
glorious and free
Actually, that seemed a strange change to me for the times, and that I stopped singing the anthem aloud.
Various revision discussed here in this Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_canada