It’s time to examine my personal favourite choice for an unofficial Western national anthem: “Northwest Passage” by Stan Rogers..Featured on Rogers’ 1981 album of the same name, “Northwest Passage” is a stirring acapella folk song that is rich in emotion and history. Tragically, this was the last album Rogers released before his untimely death two years later. Although Rogers was only 33 at the time of his death, he left behind a powerful musical legacy. He received several posthumous awards, including a Juno for “Male Vocalist of the Year” in 1984, and his songs continue to inspire people of all ages to this day..Many people already consider “Northwest Passage” to be the unofficial anthem of all Canada. However, as the name implies, this song is all about the West, and so we can make the case that it belongs here in the West..Rogers is also known for his songs about Nova Scotia, the land of his own ancestry, but his admiration for the West really shines through in this masterful melody. Listeners will recognize in the lyrics references to our natural landscape such as the Fraser River and the “sea of flowers” of the prairies. And those familiar with our history will recognize the names of several famous explorers of the West: David Thompson, Alexander Mackenzie, Henry Kelsey (“brave Kelso”), and John Franklin..As we all hopefully learned in grade school, the “Northwest Passage” was the dream of many early European explorers in North America. They had expected to find navigable waters which would allow for quicker passage from Europe to Asia. Since the 1500s, Europeans had sailed all the way around the southern tip of Africa in order to reach the Far East, which was an impressive feat but it was also costly and time consuming. Of course, the northern seas were encased in ice much of the year, so the Northwest Passage ended up being impossible to navigate in those early days. Many brave explorers died in the process of learning this terrible lesson.. Search for a Western Anthem: “Northwest Passage”The Bellot Strait, Nunavut, part of the Northwest Passage (Source: Wiki Commons, Ansgar Walk) .For me, the charm of this song is its ability to invoke this early history and make it relatable to today. Consider the following passages:.“Three centuries thereafter, I take passage overland.In the footsteps of brave Kelso, where his sea of flowers began.Watching cities rise before me, then behind me sink again.This tardiest explorer, driving hard across the plain..And through the night, behind the wheel, the mileage clicking west.I think upon Mackenzie, David Thompson and the rest.Who cracked the mountain ramparts and did show a path for me.To race the roaring Fraser to the sea.”.In these lines, Rogers draws a straight line from the early explorers to the modern Westerner. We are all explorers, arriving 300 years too late but still explorers just the same. We are all Mackenzie and Thompson who “did show a path for me.” We are all walking “in the footsteps of brave Kelso.” Facing the challenges of the West in our own day, we share in their tragedies, and we share in their glory.. Search for a Western Anthem: “Northwest Passage”Henry Kelsey sees the Buffalo on the Western Plains, illustration by C.W. Jefferys (Source: Wiki Commons) .There is one line in Rogers’ song that I think we will have to change if this is to become an unofficial Western anthem. Since Rogers was an easterner, he describes going “back home” after his time in the West: “To seek a Northwest Passage at the call of many men / To find there but the road back home again.” For Rogers, the West was a land of adventure, a place to go after leaving his “settled life” behind, but it would ultimately never be his home..But for us in the West, the song takes on new meaning because we are already home. We cross the sea of flowers and find the prairies with outstretched arms. We race the roaring Fraser and find a finish line at the sea. We crack the mountain ramparts only to build them up again for our own fortification. For us, the West is not just a tragic stepping stone to a comfortable life back east – it is our final destination and our future. We cannot fault Rogers for feeling otherwise, but we can build upon his words to suit our own needs..Time for the final analysis: how does this song rate as an anthem? First, does it inspire us? Yes, by invoking the great explorers of our past, we are encouraged to face our own challenges with equal bravery and perseverance. Second, does it speak to our unique culture, heritage, and experiences? Yes, it makes direct appeals to both the triumph and tragedy of our history. It is also not specific to just one province, so it could appeal to people from all four Western provinces. Third, is it good for crowds to sing at public events? Mostly yes, although the lyrics may require some adaptation to suit our own needs.. Search for a Western Anthem: “Northwest Passage”Prairies near Brooks, Alberta (Source: Wiki Commons, Brett Snyder) .This song is admittedly my personal favourite for this competition so far. But what do you think? Is this song better left to the easterners, or should we claim it as our own unofficial Western anthem? Let me know what you think in the comments and on social media..Do you have your own idea for the unofficial anthem of Alberta? It’s not too late. Leave a comment below, on social media, or send us an e-mail, and we will consider featuring your anthem idea in another column. E-mail your submissions for an Alberta, Buffalo, or Western anthem to anthemsearch@westernstandardonline.com.James Forbes is the Western Heritage Columnist for the Western Standard
It’s time to examine my personal favourite choice for an unofficial Western national anthem: “Northwest Passage” by Stan Rogers..Featured on Rogers’ 1981 album of the same name, “Northwest Passage” is a stirring acapella folk song that is rich in emotion and history. Tragically, this was the last album Rogers released before his untimely death two years later. Although Rogers was only 33 at the time of his death, he left behind a powerful musical legacy. He received several posthumous awards, including a Juno for “Male Vocalist of the Year” in 1984, and his songs continue to inspire people of all ages to this day..Many people already consider “Northwest Passage” to be the unofficial anthem of all Canada. However, as the name implies, this song is all about the West, and so we can make the case that it belongs here in the West..Rogers is also known for his songs about Nova Scotia, the land of his own ancestry, but his admiration for the West really shines through in this masterful melody. Listeners will recognize in the lyrics references to our natural landscape such as the Fraser River and the “sea of flowers” of the prairies. And those familiar with our history will recognize the names of several famous explorers of the West: David Thompson, Alexander Mackenzie, Henry Kelsey (“brave Kelso”), and John Franklin..As we all hopefully learned in grade school, the “Northwest Passage” was the dream of many early European explorers in North America. They had expected to find navigable waters which would allow for quicker passage from Europe to Asia. Since the 1500s, Europeans had sailed all the way around the southern tip of Africa in order to reach the Far East, which was an impressive feat but it was also costly and time consuming. Of course, the northern seas were encased in ice much of the year, so the Northwest Passage ended up being impossible to navigate in those early days. Many brave explorers died in the process of learning this terrible lesson.. Search for a Western Anthem: “Northwest Passage”The Bellot Strait, Nunavut, part of the Northwest Passage (Source: Wiki Commons, Ansgar Walk) .For me, the charm of this song is its ability to invoke this early history and make it relatable to today. Consider the following passages:.“Three centuries thereafter, I take passage overland.In the footsteps of brave Kelso, where his sea of flowers began.Watching cities rise before me, then behind me sink again.This tardiest explorer, driving hard across the plain..And through the night, behind the wheel, the mileage clicking west.I think upon Mackenzie, David Thompson and the rest.Who cracked the mountain ramparts and did show a path for me.To race the roaring Fraser to the sea.”.In these lines, Rogers draws a straight line from the early explorers to the modern Westerner. We are all explorers, arriving 300 years too late but still explorers just the same. We are all Mackenzie and Thompson who “did show a path for me.” We are all walking “in the footsteps of brave Kelso.” Facing the challenges of the West in our own day, we share in their tragedies, and we share in their glory.. Search for a Western Anthem: “Northwest Passage”Henry Kelsey sees the Buffalo on the Western Plains, illustration by C.W. Jefferys (Source: Wiki Commons) .There is one line in Rogers’ song that I think we will have to change if this is to become an unofficial Western anthem. Since Rogers was an easterner, he describes going “back home” after his time in the West: “To seek a Northwest Passage at the call of many men / To find there but the road back home again.” For Rogers, the West was a land of adventure, a place to go after leaving his “settled life” behind, but it would ultimately never be his home..But for us in the West, the song takes on new meaning because we are already home. We cross the sea of flowers and find the prairies with outstretched arms. We race the roaring Fraser and find a finish line at the sea. We crack the mountain ramparts only to build them up again for our own fortification. For us, the West is not just a tragic stepping stone to a comfortable life back east – it is our final destination and our future. We cannot fault Rogers for feeling otherwise, but we can build upon his words to suit our own needs..Time for the final analysis: how does this song rate as an anthem? First, does it inspire us? Yes, by invoking the great explorers of our past, we are encouraged to face our own challenges with equal bravery and perseverance. Second, does it speak to our unique culture, heritage, and experiences? Yes, it makes direct appeals to both the triumph and tragedy of our history. It is also not specific to just one province, so it could appeal to people from all four Western provinces. Third, is it good for crowds to sing at public events? Mostly yes, although the lyrics may require some adaptation to suit our own needs.. Search for a Western Anthem: “Northwest Passage”Prairies near Brooks, Alberta (Source: Wiki Commons, Brett Snyder) .This song is admittedly my personal favourite for this competition so far. But what do you think? Is this song better left to the easterners, or should we claim it as our own unofficial Western anthem? Let me know what you think in the comments and on social media..Do you have your own idea for the unofficial anthem of Alberta? It’s not too late. Leave a comment below, on social media, or send us an e-mail, and we will consider featuring your anthem idea in another column. E-mail your submissions for an Alberta, Buffalo, or Western anthem to anthemsearch@westernstandardonline.com.James Forbes is the Western Heritage Columnist for the Western Standard