{{Short description|Canadian composer and pianist (1927–2021)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=June 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Dolores Claman | image = | caption = | birth_name = Dolores Olga Claman | birth_date = {{birth date|1927|7|6|df=y}} | birth_place = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|7|17|1927|7|6|df=y}} | death_place = Spain | occupation = Composer, pianist }} '''Dolores Olga Claman''' (6 July 1927{{spnd}}17 July 2021)<ref>[https://www.ludwig-van.com/toronto/2021/07/19/memoriam-dolores-claman-hockey-night-canada-theme-composer-dies/ Dolores Claman, Hockey Night in Canada Theme Composer Dies]</ref> was a Canadian composer and pianist. She is best known for having composed the 1968 theme song for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's (CBC) ''Hockey Night In Canada'' show, known simply as "The Hockey Theme", which many consider Canada's unofficial second national anthem.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rolfson |first1=Erik |title=Hear the new version of Canada's unofficial national anthem: The Hockey Theme |url=https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/hear-the-new-version-of-canadas-unofficial-national-anthem-the-hockey-theme |website=The Province |access-date=18 July 2021 |date=25 September 2008}}</ref><ref name="CP obit"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=French |first1=Cameron |title=Canada's "Hockey Night" theme song on thin ice |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-33932720080606 |website=Reuters |access-date=18 July 2021 |date=5 June 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title="THE HOCKEY THEME" TO BE HONOURED AT SOCAN'S NIGHT IN CANADA |url=https://www.socan.com/the-hockey-themeae-to-be-honoured-at-socans-night-in-canada/ |website=Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada |date=14 June 2016 |access-date=18 July 2021}}</ref> She is also known for "A Place to Stand", the tune that accompanied the film of the same name at Montreal's Expo 67 Ontario pavilion.<ref name = "CDNpedia"/> This is regarded as Ontario's de facto provincial anthem.<ref>{{cite web |title='A Place to Stand:' Ontario's unofficial anthem gets a makeover |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/a-place-to-stand-ontario-unofficial-anthem-new-1.3768535 |website=CBC News |access-date=18 July 2021 |date=19 September 2016}}</ref>
==Early life== Claman was born in Vancouver on 6 July 1927. Her mother worked as an opera singer and Claman first learned the piano in her hometown.<ref name=Historica>{{cite encyclopedia|last=|first=|editor-last=|editor-first=|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|title=Dolores Claman|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dolores-claman-emc|date=11 May 2010|access-date=17 July 2021|volume=|publisher=Historica Canada}}</ref> After graduating from high school by the age of 16,<ref name="CP obit">{{cite news|title=Hockey Night in Canada theme song composer Dolores Claman dead at 94|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/dolores-claman-death-hnic-theme-song-1.6107048 |first=Tara|last=Deschamps|date=17 July 2021|access-date=17 July 2021|publisher=CBC News|agency=The Canadian Press}}</ref> she studied music and drama at the University of Southern California.<ref name=Historica/> Intending to become a concert pianist,<ref name="CP obit"/> she then studied at the Juilliard School on a fellowship. There, she was under the tutelage of Rosina Lhévinne and Eduard Steuermann for piano, as well as Vittorio Giannini and Bernard Wagenaar for composition.<ref name=Historica/> Claman's interest in jazz music was piqued and she opted to go into composition instead.<ref name="CP obit"/> After graduating, she moved to London, England in 1953.<ref name=Historica/>
==Career== In the 1950s while living in Britain, Claman composed music for ITV and wrote songs for West End musical revues.<ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dolores-claman-emc Claman, Dolores], ''Encyclopedia of Music in Canada''</ref><ref name="Atkey2006">{{cite book|author=Mel Atkey|title=Broadway North: The Dream of a Canadian Musical Theatre|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VBlRWQLsLFsC&pg=PA86|date=30 October 2006|publisher=Dundurn|isbn=978-1-4597-2120-3|page=86}}</ref> She later moved to Toronto with her writing partner and husband, lyricist Richard Morris. Together they composed over 3,000 commercial jingles in a 30-year period and won more than 40 awards internationally for their work.<ref name="McKinley2012">{{cite book|author=Michael McKinley|title=Hockey Night in Canada: 60 Seasons|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w0CkhNYaEdcC&pg=PA116|date=30 October 2012|publisher=Penguin Canada|isbn=978-0-14-318672-4|page=116}}</ref> Claman's two best-known compositions, "A Place to Stand" and "The Hockey Theme", were also orchestrated by Jerry Toth.<ref name = "CDNpedia">{{cite encyclopedia | url = https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/jerry-toth-emc | title = Jerry Toth | encyclopedia = The Canadian Encyclopedia | first1 = Betty | last1 = Nygaard King | date = 28 June 2007 | accessdate = 25 April 2010}}</ref> He, his brother Rudy Toth, and Richard Morris all worked together at Quartet Productions from 1965 until 1970.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/rudy-toth-emc |title=Rudy Toth|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|author = Nygaard King, Betty | date = 4 November 2009 | accessdate = 25 April 2010}}</ref>
Claman commenced legal action against the CBC in 2004, alleging that the network had been making unauthorized use of "The Hockey Theme" in many ways over a long period of time. Among the allegations were the network's long-term non-payment of normal licensing fees; use of the music in many programs not covered by their agreement with her, including ''NHL Centre Ice''; renaming her composition to make it look as if the network owned it; selling it as a cellular phone ringtone; and using it outside of Canada after agreeing not to.<ref>{{cite web | author = Barristers, Kemp | title = The Hockey Night In Canada Theme Song | publisher = Plaintiff Legal Counsel's Case Summary | date = 19 July 2006 | url = http://www.kemplaw.net/hnic-litigation.html | accessdate = 12 April 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120204165047/http://www.kemplaw.net/hnic-litigation.html | archive-date = 4 February 2012 | url-status = dead }}</ref> On 9 June 2008, it was announced that Claman had sold the rights to the music to private broadcaster CTV. The majority owner of The Sports Network, which also broadcasts hockey games, acquired those rights in perpetuity after an announcement by the CBC that a deal between the public broadcaster and Claman could not be reached.<ref name="CTV owns it"> {{cite news |author1 = CBC Sports |title = CTV purchases The Hockey Theme |url = http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/ctv-purchases-the-hockey-theme-1.728767 |accessdate = 9 June 2016 |work = CBC News |agency = Canadian Press |publisher = Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date = 9 June 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160629102908/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/ctv-purchases-the-hockey-theme-1.728767 |archive-date = 29 June 2016 |url-status = live |df = dmy }} </ref><ref name="Barnes2010">{{cite book|author=John Barnes|title=The law of hockey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NQtLAQAAIAAJ|date=April 2010|publisher=Butterworths & Company (Canada) Limited|isbn=978-0-433-45188-4|page=274}}</ref>
The popularity of "The Hockey Theme" resulted in many children sending letters and pictures to Claman over the years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2016/06/22/meet-the-woman-who-composed-the-hockey-night-in-canada-theme-song.html|title=Meet the woman who composed the 'Hockey Night in Canada' theme song|last=Friend|first=David|date=22 June 2016|work=Toronto Star|access-date=14 July 2016}}</ref> On 20 June 2016, Claman was awarded the Cultural Impact Award for "The Hockey Theme" at the SOCAN Awards in Toronto.<ref>[https://www.socan.ca/about/awards/2016-socan-awards "2016 Award Winners"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818175535/http://www.socan.ca/about/awards/2016-socan-awards |date=18 August 2017 }}. SOCAN website</ref>
==Personal life== Claman met Richard Morris while she was living in London, England, and they married in 1957.<ref name=Historica/> Together, they had a daughter Madeleine and a son Michael.<ref name="CP obit"/> They remained legally married until her death, though they had separated; he resided in Spain, and she continued to reside in London.<ref name="CP obit"/> Claman died on 17 July 2021, in Spain. She was 94 and had suffered from dementia in the two years prior to her death.<ref name="CP obit"/>
==See also == {{Portal|Music|Canada}} * Music of Canada * List of Canadian composers
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0163315|name=Dolores Claman}} * [http://www.hockeytheme.com/ Hockey Theme Homepage] * {{Discogs artist|Dolores Claman}} * [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dolores-claman-emc Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca] * ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0F10Sc3Vcw A Place to Stand]'', 1967, Archives of Ontario YouTube Channel
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Claman, Dolores}} Category:1927 births Category:2021 deaths Category:20th-century Canadian composers Category:Deaths from dementia in Spain Category:Musicians from Vancouver Category:University of Southern California alumni Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:Pupils of Eduard Steuermann Category:20th-century Canadian women composers