No Canada?

[Reba 2]

We had to sing O Canada and say the Lord's Prayer every morning, both in elementary school (I went to Catholic school K - 8) and in public high school. In high school, my friends who were Jehovah's Witness stood out in the hall until after morning announcements. In Catholic school we sang it half in English and half in French.

Interesting trivia regarding O Canada:

"O Canada" is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, the Honourable Théodore Robitaille, for the 1880 St. Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony. Calixa Lavallée wrote the music, which was a setting of a patriotic poem composed by the poet and judge Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier. The text was originally only in French.

An English translation of the lyric did not appear until 1906, and it was two more years before Robert Stanley Weir penned an English version, which is not a translation of the French. Weir's words have been revised twice, taking their present form in 1980, but the French lyrics remain unaltered. "O Canada" was not officially Canada's national anthem until 1980, when it was signed into law on July 1 as part of that year's Canada Day celebrations.

I remember when the lyrics changed in 1980, we all got confused when we had to sing the new version. Now though, I don't remember any of the French lyrics.

Years later at a company function, when I worked for a US company (but at the Canadian branch) and we were doing those horrible "team building" things, the teams were made to sing the US national anthem. The Canucks knew it, and for some reason most of the Americans didn't We got extra points

I have a dancing hamster toy in a Mountie uniform that plays O Canada.

[Texanadian 10]

What is this "Lord's Prayer" I keep hearing about in this thread?

[Sprailenes 47]

What is this "Lord's Prayer" I keep hearing about in this thread?

Our father who art in heaven.... yadda yadda yadda

[Marilyn. 340]

In Elem. we always said the Lord's prayer and God save the Queen. I don't remember Oh Canada till Jr. High... that was played every morning over the PA right before the announcements.. In High School .. nada.. just on Remembrance Day etc.

Woot - finally someone else who remembers God Save the Queen ! i went a smaller private school, but we had a big assembly each Friday and we sang either O Canada or God Save the Queen - honestly i think it was at the discretion of the little old lady playing piano

Here in Northern Virg. they play the SSB and say the Pledge each day - my daughter was so freaking confused about the Pledge...she came home and was like - what tha heck was that mum..... She still doesn't know it or attempt to say it, but remains standing respectfully while it's being done. It's kind of like Freeze tag, whereever the kids are in teh school everybody freezes, says the Pledge and then continues on. Obviously one day my daughter may learn it if she decides to become a US citizen. I personally have always known it, more then likely because my parents church has many Americans in it and I think we may have even said it at times.

yeah in elementary school we had to stand sing O Canada and just before school ended they played God Save the Queen... they did it over the intercom system

[Marilyn. 340]

What is this "Lord's Prayer" I keep hearing about in this thread?

Our father who art in heaven.... yadda yadda yadda

Our father who art in heaven

hallowed be thy name

thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us

And lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil

For thine is the Kingdom

for ever and ever Amen

I cheated a little but I remember most of it ..lol

[J&K 0]

I remember having to say the Lord's Prayer when I was in grade 1, but then I changed elementary schools and didn't say it anymore. I was in grade 1 in 1988-89.

I think we also did God Save the Queen at that school as well. Always sang O' Canada at both elementary schools and high school. It was played over the PA and it didn't always have the words, but the melody. I think, we used to make fun of that version...was very upbeat and kind of cheesy

[Reba 2]

There's a very cool version of the Star Spangled Banner near the end of the movie Southland Tales.

I like O Canada on the bagpipes. Bagpipes are cool.

[SomberCat 0]

We were just talking about this last night during the Super Bowl. Being a USC, I obviously love the SSB. It's only choked me up a few times, but the Super Bowl was definitely one of them. I thought Jennifer Hudson's version was fabulous. Having said that, I think the Canadian anthem is much more beautiful. I've been to a million hockey games in my life so I know the words to both and from an "easy on the ears" view, the Canadian one is prettier. I do have to admit that I'm surprised at how many of you sang your anthem in school. We never did that and that was long before the stupid political correctness took over the US. I wonder why. We did say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning though, and in hindsight, it makes me wonder why we never sang the SSB.

[Reba 2]

Because both the anthem and the pledge would be a bit of overkill wouldn't it?

[thetreble 19]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090202/...nal/no_o_canada

WE WIN! WOO-HOO!

[Emancipation 2]

The bloc doesn't go into the chambers when O Canada is sung at the house of commons? WHAT THE?

[thetreble 19]

The bloc doesn't go into the chambers when O Canada is sung at the house of commons? WHAT THE?

pretty ffff-ed up.

[Emancipation 2]

The bloc doesn't go into the chambers when O Canada is sung at the house of commons? WHAT THE?

pretty ffff-ed up.

HOLY.. that is the epitome of arrogance and self absorption ..

[trailmix 77]

We were just talking about this last night during the Super Bowl. Being a USC, I obviously love the SSB. It's only choked me up a few times, but the Super Bowl was definitely one of them. I thought Jennifer Hudson's version was fabulous. Having said that, I think the Canadian anthem is much more beautiful. I've been to a million hockey games in my life so I know the words to both and from an "easy on the ears" view, the Canadian one is prettier. I do have to admit that I'm surprised at how many of you sang your anthem in school. We never did that and that was long before the stupid political correctness took over the US. I wonder why. We did say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning though, and in hindsight, it makes me wonder why we never sang the SSB.

Because the teacher's didn't want to hear the kids trying to hit that really high note??

[thetreble 19]

As a singer myself, I will say that the SSB is very hard to sing if you don't have an outstanding range.

"RED GLARREEE" is pretty excruciating most of the time.