The Maple Leaf Forever has been called Canada’s other national anthem, but that’s not what I’m talking about. This song was written in 1968 by Dolores Claman, and it’s about to make a triumphant return in October.
In fact, a group of Canadians surveyed considered the song as much a national symbol as the Peace Tower!
Yep, it’s the Hockey Theme. Used by CBC for 40 years, it was "lost" earlier this year when an agreement couldn’t be reached for a renewal of the license.
But starting on the 10th of October, the theme will be on RDS, and then on TSN on the 14th for the Calgary Flames/Colorado Avalanche game. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra spent two days creating a new version of the song. According to TSN,
Led by award-winning conductor Darren Fung, 54 elite members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra participated in an exhaustive and emotional two-day recording session earlier this month. Using cutting-edge digital technology, the orchestra recorded for hours on end in an effort to lay down the perfect track.
Here’s a video with the full story, and a preview of the new sound:
By the way, the Canadians who put the Hockey Theme on par with the Peace Tower were NHL fans. What else were they supposed to say?
Also see The Hockey Theme returns to Canadians on RDS and TSN
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Excellent! Although I live in the States and never heard the Hockey Theme on TV, I stumbled upon an mp3 of it once and it always gets me in the mood for hockey. Great stuff!