In this special Victoria Day edition of Favourite Tracks I’d like to give a nod to two things: The fact that we don’t have to work today(!) and to the Monarchy who made all of this possible. To celebrate this great Canadian tradition, here are two tracks for one of the greatest bands of all time The Tragically Hip.

Music @ Work

After seeing the power and energy behind this performance I’ve decided that I could probably spare a couple digits to see The Hip live; that or I could just save up and pay for tickets.

Poets

And, of course, a classic piece of Canadiana. If you haven’t seen this before, you must. It’s The Hip performing live at the Queen’s Jubilee in Canada. I’ve never seen the whole Jubilee concert but if The Tragically Hip were on the bill I can’t imagine what other acts were involved, and what kind of wacky showcase of Canadian culture the Queen was treated too. Brilliant though, really.

Those that know me well know that I love everything about the British royals—the Monarchy—so I approach a cinematic offering like The Young Victoria ready to just devour it. I’m happy to say that this film is a feast that doesn’t disappoint.

I should clarify. I do love the royals, but more than that, I love a good historical biopic film. The Young Victoria is exactly that: a dramatization of just what the name implies—the life of the young Queen Victoria. The beginning of the film covers Victoria’s growing up, her aging uncle, the King, and the power struggle that surrounded her eventual rise to the throne. Once she assumes the throne—and I hope I’m not spoiling this for anyone but she does become Queen—the rest of the film follows her settling into power, her mistakes and missteps, her personal life and, of course, her falling in love.

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