My grandmother was born, in what is now Saskatchewan, in 1895. My great-grandfather grew up on the north shore of New Brunswick. He came to Saskatchewan by working on the railway as it was being built across Canada. My great-great-great Grandfather came to what is now Canada in the mid-1700s. Family legend says he was escaping a charge of sheep stealing in Scotland. My Great Grandmother did not have 21 children. But singing Great Grandma helps me feel like I’m part of Saskatchewan, even though I’ve never lived there.
Folksongs have a way of bringing what is past into the present. They add colour and life to history. And, because music crosses both hemispheres of the brain, memory of folksongs has a good chance of outlasting many lessons we learn.
Explore the songs in CanDo Music for folksongs. Wherever possible, I’ve included tidbits about a song’s story/history to unravel its links to culture and history.
La Cucaracha Sur Le Pont My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean In The Summer are a few from outside of Canada.
And, explore Canadian folksongs! Singing our songs helps to bring us together.
Note: CanDo Music3 is still in the process of being completed. Some of the songs and lessons are on the site. Anticipated completion is summer 2022.