It is often the environment that draws people to the Saanich Peninsula: its gentle weather, the green, undulating fields and forests, the mysterious ocean.  But the people and their traditions are the main reason why most end up staying.  Be it the kindness of neighbours, the allure of robust First Nations cultures, or the shared goal of keeping this place as green as we can, the Saanich Peninsula has become a place that many are proud to call home.

We at Deep Cove Folk believe that song and singing together are incredibly important ways of making this culture and these traditions visible.  Be it for someone newly arrived or a “lifer,” a well-crafted song about our district, performed in a convivial atmosphere, is a great way to create a “sense of place.”  Deep Cove Folk’s monthly concerts (see www.deepcovefolk.ca ) are dedicated to the idea that acoustic music in the relaxed setting of a small country church is a valuable and enjoyable aspect of our community culture.  Our evenings provide top flight and varied musical performances that enrich the cultural lives of Peninsula residents.  These concerts also offer an enjoyable way to coming to know our neighbours even better.  

This e-book, Saanich Songs: An Anthology of Songs About the Saanich Peninsula and Environs, is a further effort by Deep Cove Folk to support this sense of place.  It contains songs that are carefully chosen to reveal the subtle, often hard-to-see, cultural forces that underly living here.  Through these songs we come to know: 

• more of the region’s history 
• more of the wonders of living here
• more of how our neighbours see this place 
• more of issues that may be tugging at important changes to our lives here  

More than anything they celebrate this incredible region.  We describe these as “songs of placeSongs of PlaceSongs of place are those where the lyrics are clearly situated in a specific region of the world. This would be most clearly revealed by the presence of the names of specific geographical places in the words. Such songs can deal with an incredible variety of themes such as regional history, love or homesickness, local heroes and stories, finding that elusive sense of “home,” tales of district working people and their jobs, comments on social issues in the area, what it’s like to move to the area from somewhere else, and much more. The theme of the song can be universal, but the articulation of a song of place is within a specifically-local context. In the case of Saanich Songs, this place is the Saanich Peninsula.” because they embody the very fabric of people living in this very special part of the world.  Saanich Songs, then, is a “community songbook” because it makes aspects of our community visible and clear.  It is a true celebration of our place.   

The guiding principle of this e-book is commitment to the idea that art which is firmly grounded in the local context, especially songs, carries the very heart of the region—it’s essential nature.  Such regional productions make this core available and understandable to the public, both within the community and outside of it.  

The development of a “sense of place” is becoming an increasingly important aspect of how we deal with the many global forces that are engulfing us, be they environmental, political, social, or cultural.  The arts are one of the best ways of offsetting these pressures toward globalization.  By foregrounding regionality, making the unique and special aspects of where we live visible, we can find an antidote to consuming globalism.  Whether it’s Gordon Lightfoot’s “Canadian Railroad Trilogy”, Cindy Walker’s “Blue Canadian Rockies”, Lloyd Arntzen’s “Where the Coho Flash Silver”, or Don Chambers’s “Butterfield Waltz” in this volume, songs have been shown to be a unique and powerful way of defining this elusive sense of place—of making it visible and tangible. 

We believe that these Peninsula songs make an invaluable contribution to discovering and celebrating the truly special location in which we live. Based on local landmarks, current issues, history, pioneers and heroes, these songs foster a sense of belonging and pride—a particularly effective way of touching our hearts and helping to establish our region’s identity. These songs help us to learn about issues we’re experiencing, our collective histories, the perspectives of others in our community, and our shared concerns—all things that strengthen our community.

To our way of thinking, the most important aspect of this book is that it must be readily available to everyone in the region (and, perhaps, beyond too).  The only way it can realize these goals is for it to be free to everyone who’s interested.  We are making every effort we can to keep it free, so everyone can enjoy it.  But don’t confuse the idea of it being free with it being “cheap.”  On the contrary, this book is an incredibly rich trove of fine and worthy work.  In a commercial context, these songs and images would cost you an arm and a leg.  The artists involved have, in the spirit of community, agreed to forego their regular royalties and payments to help to foster our community.  We thank them profusely for this generous donation to helping to forge our “sense of place.”

Please be kind!  The songs and images presented here are all copyright (©) to the authors. Please get permission before reproducing either the text, image or audio files for any commercial purpose.  Email info@deepcovefolk.ca  if you’re thinking of reproducing any of them and we’ll put you in touch with the creators.  We’d love nothing more than having this work get “out there” and be performed and reproduced, but please acknowledge the authors and, if there is money involved, cut them in for a share.  Thanks very much. 

This 2^nd edition of Saanich Songs contains many new songs in addition to the original ones. 

Click here for background about the history of the 1^st edition.

Like the songs themselves, this book also reflects the community that produced it.  Countless hours of volunteer work have gone into putting it together:  the many creative people whose talent is revealed on the book’s pages, the editorial staff who have assembled it, the many volunteers who have, over the past 35 years, kept Deep Cove Folk as a going concern.  It is, indeed, a “community songbook” in the best sense of that term. 

Click here to see acknowledgments of the many volunteers and creative folk involved.  

Click here if you’d like to join in and help us out and support this community project.  Or you can email us at info@deepcovefolk.ca . 

Click here to see some details about the recordings and chord charts. 

So, sit back, relax, and read the varied introductions to the songs you’ll find below.  Take in the marvellous and efficient poetry of the lyrics.  Enjoy the gorgeous images and artwork.  Then follow the link to hear the song performed.  Laugh, cry, marvel, and celebrate along with them.  And, should the urge take hold, follow the link to the chord chart and learn the song so you can share it with neighbours—to shout out in song what an amazing place this is!