For all that I flatter myself as proud a Canadian as anyone, I've never really warmed up to our national anthem, aside from being thankful that it's not all about bombs and rockets' red glare. After "the events of September 11," as we've come to call that tragedy, I've even taken a shining to the Star-Spangled Banner. When I heard on the radio 110,000 Canadians singing it at the ceremony of support on Parliament Hill, three days after the terrorist attack, I wished I could have been among their number. What finer a tribute could there have been to a great nation, bloodied but unbowed?

By comparison, O Canada is made up of generic patriotic platitudes, set to a forgettable tune. But I'd venture to say that guitarist Lynn Harting-Ware disagrees with me there and, after hearing her lovely Variations on O Canada, I'll concede that there might be more to Calixa Lavalée's simple melody than I've generally thought. At least she finds it a rich source of inspiration for her musical musings.

The variations are not the only music that charms on this CD. Nearly all of it does, in fact. Among my favourites are Aris Carastathis's Four Vignettes, concise and expressive pieces of about a minute's length each, Doug Dawson's unabashedly melodious Folksong Suite, the Bach prelude and fugue, of course, and Peter Ware's Chama 'The Eagle and the Plumed Serpent'. Robert Rollin's American Variations are pretty interesting too.

By and large the playing is solid in this collection. Once or twice, most notably in Ferdinando Sor's Grand Solo, op. 14, Harting-Ware seems slightly over her head in the virtuosity department. One is normally more aware of her considerable musicality than of any technical difficulties.

Violinist James Wallenberg, who joins Haring-Ware in the final two offerings in this collection, seems to be a strong player with a fine, expressive sound.