It happens annually every June through September. Our Church fills up every Sunday, people actually open their hymnals, and they sing. Why? Because they are American! Singing is part of their heritage. American children are made to sing the National Anthem every morning in school. Canadian children just stand up and listen to a recording of the music.... without the lyrics! This is how Canadian congregations sing: They sit back in the pew, cross their arms, and look at the musicians as if to say, "OK. Entertain me." Ever seen Canadians at a hockey game when they sing the National Anthem? They hesitantly stand up, look around like they're embarrassed to be there, and they don't even know the words.
It's ironic because the Canadian national anthem is actually singable by the ordinary person, whereas the American one is just…ick, even for some trained singers.
As a Canadian, I have had similar experiences. I remember in grade school (gr 1-8), our music grade on our report card was based ENTIRELY on whether or not we moved our lips (sound was not necessary) during O Canada on Tuesdays and Thursdays and God Save the Queen on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Nobody sang, but most of us got Bs because we moved our lips to the words really well.
Now that I live in America, though, I'll run into Canadians visiting for hockey games that belt out O Canada like crazy. They're proud to sing it on foreign soil.
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