When the voices of two Langley singers emanated from the stage at McLeod Athletic Park during the Canada Day celebrations on Wednesday evening - and again three times on Thursday - the partiers in the crowd all but stopped in their tracks.

Most eyes were fixated on 11-year-old Willoughby singer Cole Armour and actress and singer Gemma Martini - two up-and-coming Langley entertainers hand-picked to perform a new anthem-like song, Keep the Pride Alive.

This song - performed in both English and French - was part of a pride campaign debuted Thursday by Langley's own Maria Martini.

The campaign - the slogan, song, and a flash-mob dance - was inspired by the euphoria everyone felt as Canadians during the 2010 Olympics.

The music, along with a choreographed dance, was unveiled during the Canada Day celebrations in Martini's hometown of Langley.

While the unveiling was limited to Langley, thus far, she and the music makers believe this song has potential to go national - and quickly.

Keep the Pride Alive was written by Vancouver composer and songwriters Bob Buckley and Brian (Hoot) Gibson, a pair who haven't worked together for 15 years but who were anxious to come together for this production.

Gibson and Martini were first introduced by Langley tunesmith Howie Vickberg about three months ago.

"She, at the time, was trying to find David Foster. We'll, I'm not David, but we talked..." Gibson explained. The rest, he only half joked, is history - or at least history in the making.

"We made magic together," said Gibson, who has carved out an unofficial anthem niche for himself in the music industry.

He teamed up with Buckley - the pair co-wrote and produced Expo 86's This Is My Home - and after a month of brainstorming and back-and-forth lyric swapping, came up with what both describe as a powerful, high-quality production song that could and likely will sweep the nation.

"This is looking bigger than just Langley," Gibson said. "It keeps that sort of flame of the Olympic torch burning."

During the 2010 Winter Games, Buckley remembers being pleasantly astonished by the spirit and pride that took over Canadians - especially here in the Lower Mainland.

He was involved in writing some of the music for the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, and recounted: "It was finally okay for Canadians to be nationalistic."

So when he and his wife, choreographer Marlise McCormick, were approached to be part of the Keep the Pride Alive campaign, they jumped at the opportunity.

"I think this song is something to be proud of... This could be a very valuable contribution to Canada," Buckley said.

"It's for the whole country," said Gibson, who joined Buckley in Langley for all four Canada Day performances.

This number transcended both artist's hopes and expectations.

"We believe this thing can get national legs. We're just at the starting gate now... hopefully it will live well beyond the Langley celebration," Gibson said. "I'm hoping to sit back one day and point, and say 'remember when it was unveiled in Langley, and now, it's on the national stage'."

rhooper@langleyadvance.com