"Row, Brothers, Row": Canadian Boat Songs, Imperial Glee, and National Identity, 1805-67.

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  • Author(s): LAXER, DANIEL
  • Source:
    Journal of Canadian Studies. Winter2016, Vol. 50 Issue 1, p72-99. 30p.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
    • Abstract:
      The collection and publication of folk songs was considered central to the expression of nationalism and national identity in the nineteenth century. The Irish poet Thomas Moore's threevoiced glee titled "A Canadian Boat Song" was published in 1805 and was supposedly based on a folk melody of the French-Canadian voyageurs. This article explores how this invention of tradition relied on the pretense of authenticity to stand in as Canada's national song, sparking its own category of poetry and music known as Canadian boat songs. It influenced the imaginings and experiences of British newcomers and immigrants, inspiring folk song collections and nationalist compositions that produced early articulations of English-Canadian national identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
    • Abstract:
      Au 19e siècle, la cueillette et la publication de chansons populaires étaient considérées comme un élément central de l'expression du nationalisme et de l'identité nationale. Le chant à trois voix du poète Thomas Moore intitulé A Canadian Boat Song, publié en 1805, était soi-disant inspiré d'une mélodie chantée par les coureurs des bois canadiens-français. Cet article s'intéresse à l'invention de cette tradition, et spécialement à la façon dont elle a pu profiter d'une feinte authenticité pour s'imposer comme chant national canadien, inaugurant ainsi un genre poétique et musical que l'on appelle maintenant « Canadian boat song » (chanson à ramer). Ce type de chansons a influencé les rêves et l'expérience des immigrants et nouveaux arrivants britanniques, en suscitant la collecte de chansons populaires et les compositions musicales nationalistes qui sont à l'origine des premières formulations de l'identité nationale canadienne-anglaise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
    • Abstract:
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