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«O Canada» is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Th? Odore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavall? E wrote the music as a setting of a French Canadian patriotic poem composed by poet and judge Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier. The lyrics were originally in French and translated into English in 1906. Robert Stanley Weir wrote in 1908 another English version, which is the official and most popular version, one that is not a literal translation of the French. Weir «s lyrics have been revised twice, taking their present form in 1980, but the French lyrics remain unaltered. «O Canada» had served as a de facto national anthem since 1939, officially becoming Canada »s national anthem in 1980 when the Act of Parliament making it so received Royal Assent and became effective on July 1 as part of that year« s Dominion Daycelebrations . has been noted that the opening theme of «O Canada» bears a strong resemblance to the «March of the Priests» from the opera The Magic Flute, composed in 1791 by Wolfg ang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavall? e »s melody was inspired by Mozart «s tune. 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 / A strain to shame us ». In the context of Tennyson's poem «To the Queen», the word «true» means «loyal» or «faithful». Lyrics and melody of «O Canada» are both in the public domain, a status unaffected by the trademarking of the phrases «with glowing hearts» and «des plus brillants exploits» for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. 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»).
7. «Advance Australia Fair»
«Advance Australia Fair» is the official national anthem of Australia. Created by the Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds McCormick, the song was first performed in 1878, and was sung in Australia as a patriotic song. It did not gain its status as the official anthem until 1984, following a plebiscite to choose the national anthem in 1977. Other songs and marches have been influenced by «Advance Australia Fair», such as the Australian vice-regal salute.
«Advance Australia Fair» was composed in the late 19th century by Peter Dodds McCormick under the pen-name «Amicus» (which means «friend» in Latin). It was first performed by Andrew Fairfax at a Highland Society function in Sydney on 30 November 1878. The song quickly gained popularity and an amended version was sung by a choir of around 10,000 at the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. In 1907 the Australian Government awarded McCormick? 100 for his composition.
In a letter to R.B. Fuller, dated 1 August 1913, McCormick described the circumstances that inspired him to write «Advance Australia Fair»: night I attended a great concert in the Exhibition Building, when all the National Anthems of the world were to be sung by a large choir with band accompaniment. This was very nicely done, but I felt very aggravated that there was not one note for Australia. On the way home in a bus, I concocted the first verse of my song & when I g...
