While there are featured songs from around the world in the Spotlight on Music lessons, it is clear that “home” is the United States of America. Therefore, Canadian and Bermudian teachers who plan to use the curriculum will no doubt wish to substitute music in those particular lessons with music unique to their own countries.

While the local teachers no doubt have a broad knowledge of the music where they live and work, this document contains some ideas for songs that may be used.

CANADA

O Canada! – This is the National Anthem of Canada. It can be found in English or French on the internet.
Download print music

God Save the Queen – The official Royal Anthem is to be played during formal ceremonies involving national royalty or vice-royalty. It has been sung in Canada since the late 1700s.

The Maple Leaf Forever – This song was written and published in 1867 before Canada had taken any territory where there were not maple trees. Alexander Muir was the principal of an elementary school in Toronto, Ontario.
Download print music

A picture and brief biography of Mr. Muir will be found at

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/m/a/p/maplelfe.htm

Mama Lisa’s World, a site featuring international music and culture has a Canada section. A few of the traditional songs listed are:

• Alouette gentile alouette (French)
• Farewell to Nova Scotia
• Huron Carol
• Bluebells, Cockleshells
• Bonhomme, bonhomme (very old song!)
• Boom, Boom, Ain’t it great to be crazy
• Donkey Riding (A sea shanty originally sung by sailors from Canada, sung while hauling and stowing cargo on a ship; the “donkey” was a steam donkey engine used to load timber.)
• Frere Jacques (French, English)
• Going Over the Sea
• I’s the B’y
• Land of the Silver Birch
• My Paddle’s Keen and Bright
• On the Mountain Stands a Lady

Another excellent website is Songs for Teaching: Using Music to Promote Learning. At this site, Michael Mitchell’s Big Canadian Music Book is available for download for a reasonable price. Strangely enough, the location of this organization is in Chandler, Arizona USA!

Resulting from a contest for music submissions in honor of Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, CBCNews features a group of original songs that can be watched on YouTube. Many of the groups feature school elementary, junior or senior high age school groups. The following links will take you to some of the submissions, with the winners' links first:

• “We Are Canada”
• “Home”
• “Welcome to Canada”
• “We Love Canada”
• “Chances”
• “Our Proud Canada”
• “Celebrate Canada”
• “Our Canada, Our Home”
• “More Canada”
• “I Will Shine”

Other songs that may be interesting to Canadians or those choosing to learn more about Canada are the following:

• The Canadian version of This Land is Your Land
• Music video of the Log Driver’s Waltz (starts with vintage footage then turns into cartoon figures)
• CA-NA-DA by Raffi
• The Provinces (and Territories) of Canada
• Sing a Song of Canada
• Canada Chant, clip only
• The Province Rap

BERMUDA

Official Anthem: God Save the Queen

National Song: Hail to Bermuda (by Betty Johns)

• Version One
• Version Two

Bermuda Is Another World (by Hubert Smith) video of unofficial national anthem

• First Video
• Second Video

Proud to Be Bermudian (official video)

Mama Lisa’s World has a few songs and chants that are supposed to be from Bermuda

Happy (Bermuda) – This video which features the Pharrell Williams song shows a day in the life of a Bermudian. Swim wear and moving to the music are featured frequently.