However, it is possible to copyright the arrangements made to the melody. There is no copyright on the melody and the words of the national anthem, the Act having declared them to be in the public domain. Copyright and commercial use of the anthemĪs the National Anthem Act only sets the melody for the anthem, musicians are free to arrange the score to suit their needs. There is no law or behaviour governing the playing of the national anthem it is left to the good citizenship of individuals. Women and children do not remove their hats on such occasions. It is traditional for civilian men to take off their hats during the playing of the national anthem. When anthems are played at the end of an event, 'O Canada' should be played last.Īs a matter of respect and tradition, it is proper to stand for the playing of 'O Canada' this is also the case for the anthem of any other nation. If two anthems are to be played at the beginning of an event, 'O Canada' should be played first followed by the other one. It is up to the organizers to determine if 'O Canada' will be sung at the beginning or at the end of a ceremony. There is no specific rule as to when it is appropriate to sing the national anthem at an event. Read the full history of 'O Canada', and learn about the lives of the people behind the anthem. On Janulegislation was passed to change the English lyrics from “True patriot love in all thy sons command” to “True patriot love in all of us command,” to make it gender neutral. It was Weir's lyrics that became the official English version in 1980. The music for 'O Canada' was composed in 1880 by Calixa Lavallée – a well-known composer at the time – and the French lyrics were written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier.Īs the song became more and more popular, many English versions were written over the years, including one based on a poem written in 1908 by The Honourable Robert Stanley Weir. Open the file by using a QuickTime Player for Mac or import it into iTunes History of the national anthemĪfter a hundred years of tradition, 'O Canada' was proclaimed Canada's national anthem in 1980.

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Bilingual version sung by Julie Nesrallah and Nathalie Paulin

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