La belle se promène

Program Notes:

This Canadian folksong tells of the love between a beautiful women and her young sailor. Meghan gives a skillful and intriguing approach to the plaintive Acadian dorian melody.

“La belle se promène” tells the story of an encounter between a beautiful girl and a sailor on the banks of a river. Originally a French folk song—an alternative lyric places the strangers’ meeting on the Loire river—it was brought to Canada by French settlers, where it was absorbed and adapted into Acadian culture. This arrangement casts the story in a dream-like atmosphere: its opening evokes the banks of a more solitary river, hidden away in green forests. Moving from the charged stillness of the girl’s encounter with nature to the thrill of meeting a stranger—and sailing away with him—the arrangement provides a full palette of expressive colours. In order to join the sailor on his journey, the girl asks him to teach her the song he’s singing. For the girl, singing is a means of both getting to know and of escaping into the unknown, leaving her past life behind like a dream.

Conductor Notes:

SSAA a cappella with drum

This is a wonderful arrangement, promoted by conductor Zimfira Poloz of the Hamilton Children’s Choir in her children’s choir series with Cypress Choral Music. Thoroughly satisfying to learn and perform. The tempo is slow and thoughtful. Each verse of the story gets its own, successful treatment, and the overall arc of the piece unfolds beautifully. Highly recommended.

La belle se promène au fond de son jardin.
La belle se promène au fond de son jardin.
au fond de son jardin sur les bords de l’île
au fond de son jardin sur les lords du l’eau,
sur les bords du ruisseau.

Elle voit venir une barque de trente matelots,
de trente matelots sur les bords de l’île
de trente matelots sur les bords de l’eau
sur les bords du ruisseau.

Le plus jeune des trente, il se mit à chanter,
le plus jeune des trente, il se mit à chanter,
il se mit à chanter sur les bords de l’île
il se mit à chanter sur les bords de l’eau,
sur les bords du ruisseau.

La chanson que tu chantes, je voudrai la savoir,
la chanson que tu chantes, je voudrai la savoir
je voudra la savoir sur les bords de l’île
je voudrai la savoir sur les bords de l’eau,
sur les bords du ruisseau.

Embarque dans ma barque, je te la chanterai
embarque dans ma barque, je te la chanterai
je te la chanterai sur les bords de l’île
je te la chanterai sur les bords de l’eau,
sur les bords du ruiseau.