Song of a Nation
The Untold Story of Canada's National Anthem
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Remove from Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Song of a Nation
Narrated by:
Robert Harris
Buy Now for $28.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Robert Harris
-
By:
-
Robert Harris
About this listen
The story of "O Canada" is one of the great unknowns of our collective lives. No longer. This formidable and gorgeously written tale documents the history of this song of a nation, from its origins in French Canada in the years just after Confederation to the surprisingly controversial story of its adoption as Canada's national anthem a hundred years later.
Song of a Nation is also the extraordinary and mysterious story of Calixa Lavallée--the anthem's French-Canadian composer--and his compelling, almost unbelievable personal journey: his early life as a blackface minstrel, travelling throughout the United States for more than a decade; his service for the Union Army in the American Civil War; his production of the first opera in Quebec; and, in a final act, becoming a leading figure in American music education. To understand "O Canada," and to understand the man who wrote it, is to return to the Canada of the mid-1800s, just forming as a nation, bringing together ancient racial hatreds and novel political possibilities. More than just a song, in its own story "O Canada" evokes the history of a country creating an identity for itself out of the unique forces and rivalries of French and English Canada, and looking to the infinite possibilities that lay ahead.
Critic Reviews
Praise for Song of a Nation:
Shortlisted for the 2019 Vine Award for History
“[Song of a Nation] is a well-written, well-researched account of the successes and travails of Lavallée’s life and of the genesis and evolution of O Canada.” —Winnipeg Free Press
“Song of a Nation is a bravura performance with all the dramatic elements of Grand Opera—war, patriotism, loyalty, ambition, family, politics, and enchantment. Robert Harris explains how we became our national song. It makes you want to stand up and sing.” —Michael Enright, host of CBC’s The Sunday Edition
Shortlisted for the 2019 Vine Award for History
“[Song of a Nation] is a well-written, well-researched account of the successes and travails of Lavallée’s life and of the genesis and evolution of O Canada.” —Winnipeg Free Press
“Song of a Nation is a bravura performance with all the dramatic elements of Grand Opera—war, patriotism, loyalty, ambition, family, politics, and enchantment. Robert Harris explains how we became our national song. It makes you want to stand up and sing.” —Michael Enright, host of CBC’s The Sunday Edition
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.