Over Northern Skies

An historic flight from our Pacific to our Atlantic coast 

Feb. 23, 1909 - J.A.D. McCurdy (later Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia) piloted the first powered airplane flight by a British subject in the British Empire. The Silver Dart, as it was named had been built by the Aerial Experiment Association, a group of aviation enthusiasts dedicated to creating a "practical aerodrome."

The flight took place on the frozen Bras d'Or Lake at Baddeck on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, near the home of AEA member Alexander Graham Bell. 

July 17, 2009 – Director/host John Lovelace of ‘Wings Over Canada’ fame set out to celebrate 100 years Canadian Flight. A contingency of 125 small aircraft set off from Boundary Bay Airport in Delta, BC enroute to Nova Scotia to celebrate the 1909 flight of the ‘Silver Dart’ Canada's first flight

'Over Northern Skies' was commissioned as the theme song for John Lovelace's documentary ‘Cross Canada Century Flight’

Bruce Coughlan: lead vocal, guitar
Laurence Knight: electric bass, vocals
Nolan Murray: mandolin
Chris Nordquist: drums

Produced by Laurence Knight
Recorded and mixed by Larry Anschell at Turtle Recording
Mastered by Joby Baker, Baker Studios, Victoria, BC.

Over Northern Skies

Tiller's Folly

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Feb. 23, 1909 - J.A.D. McCurdy (later Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia) piloted the first powered airplane flight by a British subject in the British Empire. The Silver Dart, as it was named had been built by the Aerial Read more
Feb. 23, 1909 - J.A.D. McCurdy (later Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia) piloted the first powered airplane flight by a British subject in the British Empire. The Silver Dart, as it was named had been built by the Aerial Experiment Association, a group of aviation enthusiasts dedicated to creating a "practical aerodrome."

The flight took place on the frozen Bras d'Or Lake at Baddeck on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, near the home of AEA member Alexander Graham Bell.

July 17, 2009 – Director/host John Lovelace of ‘Wings Over Canada’ fame set out to celebrate 100 years Canadian Flight. A contingency of 125 small aircraft set off from Boundary Bay Airport in Delta, BC enroute to Nova Scotia to celebrate the 1909 flight of the ‘Silver Dart’ Canada's first flight.

'Over Northern Skies' was commissioned as the theme song for John Lovelace's documentary ‘Cross Canada Century Flight’
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  1. Over Northern Skies

Over Northern Skies

They’d never seen the likes before
‘Till that cold winter’s morn, on the ice of Bras d’Or
The Silver Dart coursed through the air
And the crowd assembled there, they all let out a cheer

McCurdy’s biplane hurdled by
He sets his sites upon the Nova Scotia sky

Were there grace to grant my dreams
I would ride with the wind, like a bird on high
And if I had wings to fly, I would sail away
Over Northern skies

Alexander Graham Bell, who we all know so well
Of telephone fame
Gathered the thinkers of the day, oh, the tinkers of the trade
To build his flying machine
And the mandate he declared
Do all it takes to set a man into the air

Were there grace to grant my dreams
I would ride with the wind, like a bird on high
And if I had wings to fly, I would sail away
Over Northern skies

At thirty thousand feet
It’s hard to believe, it’s only been a hundred years
A Silver Dart coursed through the air
On a wing and a prayer, and the crowd all cheered
The world advances stride by stride
So never fear to set your sites upon the sky

Where there's grace to grant our dreams
We can ride with the wind, like birds on high
And given wings, we can fly, we can all sail away
Over Northern skies
We can sail away
Over Northern skies 

 

Words & Music by Bruce Coughlan (SOCAN)

Stirring Up Ghosts is an initiative begun in 1997 by songwriter Bruce Coughlan in an effort to preserve a measure of Pacific Canadian history, heritage and culture in story & song. His band Tiller's Folly have recorded and performed these songs far and wide, sharing our unique stories in the Bardic tradition which is a timeless part of our Celtic Culture.

 

Some images ©