Calixa Lavallée
Dec 28, 1842 - Jan 21, 1891
France
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Calixa Lavallée was Union Army band musician during the American Civil War.
Calixa Lavallée was a French-Canadian-American musician. He is best known for composing the music for "O Canada," which officially became the national anthem of Canada in 1980, after a vote in the Senate and the House of Commons. The same 1980 Act of Parliament also changed some of the English lyrics. A slight alteration to the English lyrics was made again in 2018. The original French lyrics and the music, however, have remained unchanged since 1880.