John Murray Gibbon
John Murray Gibbon was a significant figure in Canadian cultural history, born on August 12, 1875, in Udeweller, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He pursued his education at prestigious institutions, including Aberdeen University, Gottingen University, and Oxford University, and also studied music in London. Gibbon's career as a publicity agent for the Canadian Pacific Railway from 1907 until 1945 allowed him to promote Canadian culture, particularly through festivals that celebrated folk art and music. He was a prolific writer and translator, authoring both fiction and nonfiction works that often focused on Canadian history and folk music.
Notably, Gibbon coined the terms "Canadian mosaic" and "cultural mosaic," advocating for a multicultural society where immigrant groups maintain their unique identities, a concept that influenced Canadian multicultural policy in the 1970s. His notable publications include "Canadian Mosaic: The Making of a Northern Nation," which received the Governor General's Award for nonfiction in 1938, and the four-volume "French Canadian Folk Songs," published in collaboration with Sir Ernest Macmillan. Gibbon also contributed to literature and music scholarship, writing novels and scholarly works, as well as translating French Canadian folk songs. His legacy is marked by his dedication to promoting and preserving Canadian cultural identity.
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John Murray Gibbon
Writer
- Born: August 12, 1875
- Birthplace: Udeweller, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
- Died: July 2, 1952
- Place of death: Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Montreal, Canada
Biography
John Murray Gibbon was born in Udeweller, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), on August 12, 1875. He studied at Aberdeen University and Gottingen University. He received a B.A. from Oxford University around 1900. He also spent time in London studying music. From 1907 to 1913, Gibbon was employed as the European publicity agent by Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1913 he moved to Canada as publicity manager for the railway, and he remained there until 1945. During the 1920’s and 1930’s, he organized festivals under the sponsorship of Canadian Pacific Railway, introducing folk art and music to the general public. Gibbon was a prolific writer, a translator, and talented publicist. In 1921 he founded the Canadian Authors Association and served as its president.
Gibbon wrote both fiction and nonfiction. Much of his nonfiction dealt with folk music and Canadian history. In 1928, in association with Sir Ernest Macmillan, he published a four-volume work on music entitled French Canadian Folk Songs. His histories included several on Canada. In 1938 in his book Canadian Mosaic: The Making of a Northern Nation, he proposed a way of thinking about the role of immigrants that was in direct opposition to the “melting pot” concept prevalent in the United States. He viewed groups of immigrants as separate entities that should maintain their own culture and specific identity. He coined the terms “Canadian mosaic” and “cultural mosaic,” which became standard descriptors of Canadian society. In the 1970’s, the Canadian policy on multiculturism used his idea of the mosaic to describe Canadian culture.
Gibbon’s novels included Drums Afar: An International Romance in which he portrayed Canada as the last region where wildlife and game animals were abundant. This novel was part of a movement that promoted western Canada as the only area in which large populations of wild animals still existed. Gibbon, as a representative of the Canadian Pacific Railway, played a significant role in this campaign to attract people to western Canada. Gibbon also wrote scholarly works such as his Melody and the Lyric: From Chaucer to the Cavaliers which contained two hundred music illustrations and appeared in 1930. He authored several war pamphlets, including “The New Canadian Loyalist.” He translated French Canadian folksongs such as “Le Jeu de Robin et Marion” and “L’Ordre de bon temps” into English for the Canadian Folksong and Handicraft Festivals in Québec and wrote the libretto for the ballad operaPrince Charlie and Flora. He belonged to the Canadian Music Council. In 1931 he won a Prix David for Melody and the Lyric. In 1938 his Canadian Mosaic won the Governor General’s Award for nonfiction. In 1949 he received the Lorne Pierce Medal. Clearly, Gibbon played a significant role in the development of Canadian culture and in its promotion.