Calixa Lavallée (1842-1891) was born in Quebec, traveled abroad for years, fought as a Union officer in the American Civil War, and was a theater musician, bandsman, and choirmaster before achieving lasting fame for composing O Canada. He holds the distinction of being the first notable Canadian composer.- Category ID : 24652
Detailed biography with a strong sense of national pride includes links to lyrics, MIDI sound file, detailed history of the song, and biographies of French and English lyricists Adolphe-Basile Routhier and Robert Stanley Weir.