Canadian Cadences by John Murray Gibbon

John Murray Gibbon, was born in Ceylon and educated in Aberdeen, Oxford and the University of Gottingen. In 1907 he undertook the supervision of European propaganda for the Canadian Pacific Railway, visiting Russia, Japan, Austria, Hungary and Scandinavia. In 1913 he came to Canada as General Publicity Agent, acting until his retirement in 1945. In the preparation of broadcasting programmes he explored thoroughly the history of music and won international recognition in that field. One of the founders and the first president of the Canadian Authors’ Association, he has done much to promote the welfare of authors in Canada. His publications include novels as well as books dealing with folk-songs and ballads, fairy tales, poetry and history. In May, 1940, John Murray Gibbon was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of Montreal, and in 1949 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Canada for his long and distinguished service to Canadian letters.

from “Canadian Cadences”:

Pioneers
Air: “Danish Wedding Song,” by C. E. F. Weyse

In cover’d wagon we crossed the line
To look for where we could live contented,
And saw the sun of Alberta shine
On loam that never a plough had dented.
“My dear,” said Mary,
“Though crops may vary,
Give me the prairie
For ranche or dairy;
Why further roam
To find our home?”

From cover’d wagon we heard the call
Of untill’d acres around us lying,
And felt the rain of Alberta fall
From cloud that came to Alberta flying.
“My dear,” said Mary,
“There’s no good fairy
Like rain on prairie
For ranche or dairy;
Why further roam
To find our home?”

From cover’d wagon we settled down
On homestead waiting and freely granted,
And found our market in railway town
For cream or cattle or crop we planted.
“My dear,” said Mary,
“My heart’s so airy;
No ranche or dairy
On all the prairie
Is more like home
No more we’ll roam.”
From Northland Songs, No. 2. [Copyright U.S.A., 1938, by Cordon V. Thompson]

In My Cabin
Air: Finnish Folk Tune
The honk of the wild geese southward bound,
In phalanx cleaving the azure sky,
And maple in scarlet splendour gowned
Proclaim to all that the snow is nigh.
Here in my cabin all is gay,
Shortening days with laughter fly;
Soon it will be my wedding day,
Winter may come, but what care I?

The horn of the moon is rising cold,
And ice creeps over the night-black lake;
The firs in the dark green forest hold
A silence only the wolf may break.
Yet in my cabin all is gay,
Warm is the stove, and hearts are high.
Yesterday was our wedding day,
Winter may come, but what care I?
Featuring cover artwork by Ginevra Syperek.