Madelaine in Brittany

Subject: Madelaine in Brittany
From:
Date: 12 Feb 99 - 02:20 PM

Arising from our annual inter-Celtic festival, Breton dances and music have become quite popular in Mann. Our ceilidh band plays various pieces of music for Breton dances, but we also sing a son Any additional info. would be appreciated. Thanks. Heidi

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Subject: RE: Madelaine in Brittany
From: Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Date: 12 Feb 99 - 02:28 PM

The original message (and the duplicate) are an interesting cross-connection between mine and Heidi's. Two lines of mine are there. At least (after many attempts to start a thread) at least I can "reply" to my own thread and post the full message now - eh voila!

Arising from our annual inter-Celtic festival, Breton dances and music have become quite popular in Mann. Our ceilidh band plays various pieces of music for Breton dances, but we also sing a song that accompanies one of them. The version we sing is in French (it's from the Morbihan area, so it may be towards the boundary of Lower and Upper Brittany).

The words as we've picked them up in French are from the singing of Sonerien Sant Yann on a recording, and from Ranned Noz, a group of singers from Morbihan. Ranned Noz also sing a version in Breton - if anyone has that set of words, I'd be very pleased to hear from them.

The verse is a simple formula, running down from 10 sheep to none using this pattern -

J'ai dix ou neuf moutons dans mon village en haut
J'ai dix ou neuf moutons dans mon village en bas
Dans mon village en haut, dans mon village en bas.

Another version has "'Y a dix ou neuf moutons dans mon menage en haut", etc, whilst Yann Guegan on soc.culture.breton said he's always sung, "'Y a dix ou neuf bistrots dans mon village d'en haut", etc. However, the verse is not the problem.

Yann suggested for the chorus:

Eh change-tu, eh Marie Madelaine
Eh change-tu, eh Marie Madlon.

Unfortunately, this seems different from other versions I've heard, so my guess on the chorus has been vocables along these lines, which do appear to convey some sort of sense:

Eh charge-en-tu, Madeline, Madelaine, Charge-en-tu, Madelaine, dors-tu?

If any Mudcatters know the song, either in French or Breton, I'd be delighted to hear from them.

Trugarez,

Bobby Bob, Enez Manaw

Subject: RE: Madelaine in Brittany
From: Daim
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 11:32 AM

Salut deoc'h,

It may just be a little clue for you, and it may be late as well...

Anyway, maybe I can bring one more stone to your building. Once, two years ago, while travelling in Finistere/Penn-ar-Bed, I heard this song in a fest-noz in Plonevez-Porze (near Kemper). The song was sung in french, however the chorus was sung in breton. I can only remember the first part :

Chom ! Chom pe Madelinn Madelinn, Chom ! Chom pe Madelinn (?)

If one of you ever goes to this village, I think you should ask to people there, as it seemed to be known by everybody...

Kalon vat,

Subject: RE: Madelaine in Brittany
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 01:37 PM

I do not know much about Breton music (I had a holiday there last Summer), but happened across this particular song in Leeds (Yorkshire, U.K.) at a dance group learning French and Breton dances. They have their set of words on a website, so here is a Blicky link Chanj tu It is the second song on the page. Someone within the group may know more about the song and its origins! (Knock three times and tell them Geoff the Duck sent you........)
The dance group are Les Panards Dansant which may be of interest to anyone on the M62 or the top end of the M1.
Quack!
GtD.