This Moment in Canadian Music History: Music of the Famous Five

I wonder if they shared a taste in music as closely as they shared a passion for human rights and women’s suffrage?

Perhaps they debated the merits of swing jazz, that sassy musical upstart that was starting to sweep the continent. Maybe some of them preferred country music, listening to the Carter Family or Jimmie Rogers on one of the many Canadian radio stations that were beginning to proliferate. I would imagine that at least one of them played piano, lived in a home that boasted an upright which had been passed down through the generations. No doubt the piano bench was filled with sheet music, regimental marches that had become so popular during the war, or patriotic songs like “Maple Leaf Forever” or “Johnny Canuck’s the Lad”.

I can really only speculate what music Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, and Henrietta Muir Edwards liked to listen to. Regardless of the personal musical preferences of the Famous Five, however, their groundbreaking achievement will be commemorated with a home-grown musical tribute on the anniversary of the day that Canadian women were declared persons in the eyes of the law.

In 2000, The Ballad of the Famous Five, composed by Calgary singer-songwriter, Carolyn Harley, was used in a national TV programme celebrating the unveiling of the monument to The Famous Five on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. On Tuesday, October 18, on the 82nd anniversary of the passing of the Persons Case, Carolyn will perform The Ballad of the Famous Five at the Famous Five monument in Olympic Plaza to honour those five Alberta women whose righteous passion initiated this case and changed Canadian life forever. Starting at noon and continuing every 15 minutes, Carolyn will dedicate her performance to each of the Famous Five in turn. Also in attendance will be Nancy Millar, Calgary author of the book The Famous Five: Five Canadian Women and Their Fight to Become Persons.

Come down to Olympic Plaza for this musical tribute to a moment in Canadian history. Wear a hat and stay for a chat.