Is there really much banning of Christmas songs in the schools down there? I don't think we've had anything much like that happening up here. If anything, I think the schools tend to continue older traditions, but add to them with songs from other cultures to celebrate other holidays throughout the year. That's been going on for quite awhile as I know we learned songs in other languages when I was in school (which was a very long time ago). But then, I went to school in Quebec, so right there, we were learning two languages and traditional folk songs of the English, French Canadiennes (mostly voyageur or lumberjack songs), and Maritimes (sea shanties). Btw, a favourite song of mine is The Squid Jiggin' Ground, by Arthur Scammell of Change Islands, Newfoundland.
changeislands.ca
Incidentally, traditional Maritimes music and folklore has been well documented, largely through the work of one woman, Helen Creighton, who spent 60 years travelling all around through the Maritimes, writing down stories, recording sea shanties and other folk songs. There's a recent National Film Board documentary on her work "A Sigh and a Wish".
nfb.ca
A super little film - no doubt not too available down there though. (o:
croc |
