Delmar Music Co.

Delmar Music Co.

Delmar Music Co. Montreal music publishing firm listed in city directories from 1908 to 1919, with a known range of copyrights from 1907 to 1919. Some 50 of these are known to exist, ranging from marches, and dances (including ragtime music) to songs. Composers published by Delmar include Willie Eckstein, J. B. Lafrenière, Wilson MacDonald (the poet, illustrator and songwriter) and Herbert Spencer. The company is best known as the publisher in November 1908 of the first edition of 'O Canada' with the English words by Robert Stanley Weir, the words officially adopted 1 Jul 1980 when the song was proclaimed Canada's national anthem. The rights to this edition later passed through Leo Feist Ltd to Gordon V. Thompson Ltd. About 1916 the company changed its name to Delmar Co Ltd. Its last proprietor was H. Morrison.