Empire, Nation, and Music
Empire, Nation, and Music
Canada’s Dominion Songbook
Music in Canada during World War I illuminates the country’s history and cultural identity. In some ways it paralleled music in Britain: for the public, initial enthusiasm was followed by disillusionment and resistance to conscription; for soldiers, music was a diversion and an inspiration. The interplay between French- and English-speaking cultures, however, was unique to Canada. Le Passe-temps (Montreal) published many scores and articles that reflected Francophone concerns; and the Anglophone public and troops united in publishing various soldiers’ songbooks, some associated with specific regiments. Little memorial music was composed, but the war poem “In Flanders’ Fields” by Canadian John McCrae became a lasting and universal contribution to remembrance.
Keywords: World War I, music, Canada, conscription, soldiers, songbooks, John McCrae, “In Flanders’ Fields”, memorial poems, Canadian history
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