Tune Add: Le Canal October

Subject: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Mr Happy
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 06:55 AM

Another fab tune from our itinerant melodeonist!


X: 1
T:Le Canal October
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:schottische
K:Gmaj
|: GA | B3B cBAG | B3B cBAG | EFGB A3 G | FGEF D2 GA |
B3B cBAG | B2 BB cBAG | EFGB A2 F2 | G2 GB G2 :|
|: Bc | d3d cBAG | d3d cBAG | EFGB A3 G | FGEF D2 Bc |
d3d cBAG | d3d cBAG | EFGB A2 F2 | G2 GB G2 :|

Here's a fair rendition from YTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtpG-DzZo0M



Apparently from Brittany, though I've no other info, has anyone else?

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: John Routledge
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 06:59 AM

I too understand that it is from Brittanny. It also sounds wonderful on Northumbrian Small Pipes.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 07:25 AM

I'm afraid it's not from Brittany at all, but central France, the Massif Central region - it's actually a recently-composed tune, written by Frederic Paris of La Chavannee (and many other fine bands and combos).

And whilst I'm being picky it's 'Le Canal En Octobre'. IIRC it was Chris Wood & Andy Cutting who first popularised it on this side of the English Channel, and it's now a staple in English sessions (and is in Nick Barber's English Choice tune collection.

Great tune!

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: John Routledge
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 08:08 AM

Many thanks sfmans. It is indeed a great tune

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Will Fly
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 08:44 AM

It's normally played at some speed at sessions. I personally prefer to play some tunes at a slower speed and, with this tune, there are some nice minor chords that can slip in to add to the character. If you can be bothered, there's my mandolin and tenor guitar version - at slower speed and with minor chords at:

Le Canal en Octobre

Anyway, fast or slow, it's a great tune - ideal for beginners as well.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Mr Happy
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 08:53 AM

Will Fly,

Yourself on mandolin & your accompanying identical triplets on tenor guitar and 6-string guitar give a superb performance, thanks!! 8-)

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Will Fly
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 09:00 AM

Thanks, Mr.H - very kind. Session playing, with its repetition of the tune, allows people new to it to pick it up and get to grips with it, but that makes for a very dull video, so a little variety here and there just leavens the dough. Glad you liked it.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Micca
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 09:36 AM

It was recorded by a bunch of Mudcatters at Portaferry one year and was sent and put on the Mudcat "Blue plate" CD

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Micca
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 09:42 AM

Correction, I'm not sure which, if any, of these it is on, it was the one with mostly childrens songs and Lullabies

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 10:00 AM

Its track 11 on the Blue Bottle Special - Songs and Stories for Lily Ani

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 12:23 PM

Home now so can check the music books:

The tune first appeared on Frederic Paris' LP Rue de l'oiseau which, I guesstimating, came out in the late 80s (the book of tunes from that LP and the cassette Carnet de Bal came out in 1990).

It is indeed a Frederic Paris original, and is played by both FP and subsequently Wood & Cutting as a set with another FP tune 'Une autre fois' first (and yes that B part is correct):

X: 11
T:Une Autre Fois
M:C
L:1/8
C:Frederic Paris
R:Schottische
Z:Steve Mansfield
K:G
Bc |: d4 cBAG | e3d cBAG | A2GA A2GA | B3c BAGF | E3F G2FG |
A2AB AGBA |1 G3A GABc :|2 G3A GFGA || G3A G2FG | A3B AGBA |
G3A GFED | G3A GFGA | G3A G2FG | A3B AGcB | A6 ||

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Fidjit
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 04:08 AM

Yeah here's my version

Great tune.

Chas

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Fidjit
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 04:29 AM

But the best version is this.

Chas

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Mick Tems
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 07:03 AM

The Llantrisant Session always plays Le Canal en Octobre, followed by Domenica, a jaw-dropping, wonderful tune composed by Gabriele Coltri, piva player with Veneto band Calicanto (who have come here many times.)We recommend it most favourably!

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: GUEST,Spleen Cringe
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 07:14 AM

If you enjoy this tune, check out a couple of great albums featuring Frederic Paris. "Avant Soleil Levé" by his band, La Chavannée, also featuring the phenomenally good Patrick Bouffard on hurdy-gurdy, is an essential addition to anyone's record collection. And for a great live album, you don't get many like Paris/Decombel/Claeys/Chabenat's "Live en Flandres" from a couple of years ago. Seek 'em out & enjoy!

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 07:56 AM

The Llantrisant Session always plays Le Canal en Octobre, followed by Domenica, a jaw-dropping, wonderful tune composed by Gabriele Coltri, piva player with Veneto band Calicanto (who have come here many times.)We recommend it most favourably!

Well don't tease, how about some abcs or a YooToob link? :)

Spleen is quite correct about Avant Soleil Levé and Live en Flandres BTW, both excellent inventive albums. And then you're off into Frederic's collaborations with Gilles Chabenat, and Trio Patrick Bouffard and Bouffard's Transcept CDs, and the whole La Chavannee diaspora, and that in turn leads to all sorts of other great stuff ... and before you know it you need a new house to accommodate all the CDs ....

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: GUEST,Spleen Cringe
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 08:01 AM

Tell me about it! My shelves are groaning with French imports...

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Brian Peters
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 08:41 AM

"But the best version is this."

I beg to differ, Chas. The best version is by the composer himself. You can listen to a very short sample
here but you have to pay for the full download (and quite right, too!).

To my mind it's become a bit lumpen in most English sessions and lost some of its subtlety.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Gedi
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 08:50 AM

This is a great tune and has fast become one of my favourites. I like it played a little slower too, it's often spoiled in sessions by being done too fast IMHO. I played it for some people to dance to recently and they wanted it really slow.

I love your version Will, beautiful arrangement and the tempo was just right. I never thought to put minor chords in, must try that on the melodeon although of course I'm limited as to whats available.

Spleen, thanks for the heads up on those French CD's, I must try to get hold of them. Nice singing in the Beech last night btw - good to see you giving it some : )

Cheers
Ged

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Will Fly
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 08:55 AM

Thanks Gedi - very kind. As I said before, played fast at sessions and with little variation. Great for sessions but not for videos to be watched, etc.

There are many tunes which, when played at a slower pace, allow the melody to sing so much more.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: GUEST,Spleen Cringe
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 09:32 AM

Ged - I'd PM you but I'm not on my own pc... just wanted to let you know I'll bring you a few to listen to.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Monique
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 12:54 PM

You can listen to them all for free on Musicme. Just put "Frédéric Paris" into the window.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: bubblyrat
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 01:34 PM

Love it !! I always try to play it slowly (on guitar) but there are always lightning -fingered melodeonistas just waiting to let rip ! It goes well with another tune by M paris,but the name eludes me. The tune (Le Canal En Octobre) I find easy to pick,and when reverting to chord accompaniment,ie when a melodeonutter cuts in ,I use both "up" and "down" a simple D-Em-F#m-G (or the reverse !),which I find handy,especially in Irish sessions !
    Vive Monsieur Paris ! And Fleming Wim Poesen, natuurlijk !

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: LesB
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 02:02 PM

I like the speed that Will Fly plays it. We normally play it quite slow at the sessions I normally go to, but I was (unpleasantly)surprised when I went to a new one & it was played fast.
Cheers
Les

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Gedi
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 04:31 PM

Les, I know what you mean - it took me by surprise when I first heard it done fast. Totally ruins a good tune I think, but there you go, there are a lot of speed merchants out there.

I love your expression Will, 'allowing it to sing' - very apt. Perhaps I'll post my own version one day if I can get the hang of recording stuff and uploading!!

Ged

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Fidjit
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 05:09 AM

Well Monique your link was good, but Le Canal Octobre wasn't there.

Brian. Your link was defined as dodgy by firefox. So where is this Freddy boy then?

Chas

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Monique
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 05:21 AM

Yes it is. When you're on Frédéric Paris' page, click on "Rue de l'oiseau" cd, it's the 5th title, there are two tunes on that one: "Une autre fois" and "Le canal en octobre"

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Fidjit
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 05:57 AM

Well he plays it quite fast doesn't he.

Chas

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: bubblyrat
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 06:08 AM

The French do everything quickly !

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 06:21 AM

It's become known as "The Duck" in certain places.
Mainly becuase I got confused between "Canal and Canard"
And is fast becoming the Spleed the Plough equivalent!
No doubt it will pop up in the Radway sessions over this next weekend!

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Mr Happy
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 06:58 AM

'Spleed the Plough' oh, how's that one go?

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: LesB
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 08:20 AM

That's the Chinese version

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Mr Happy
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 08:21 AM

Ah so, 'Spreed the Prow'!

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Surreysinger
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 08:27 AM

Something like this ? Well perhaps not?

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 09:06 AM

Can we start a campaign to Le Canal en Octobre, and hopefully on the back of it all French bourrees and schottisches, from all those who seem to regard all tunes as an obstacle course to be traversed as quickly as possible?

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 09:08 AM

Ack - missing word, 'save', as in 'start a campaign to save Le Canal'.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 09:47 AM

Well if Frederic Paris usually plays it at that recorded speed perhaps the campaign should be to stop it been dragged down to the pace of a funeral march. It's a good tune but you can't hang on to it forever.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Brian Peters
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 10:27 AM

I don't think it's so much about the speed as about the lilt. Frederic Paris plays a lot more across the rows, and with more ornaments, than most English melodeon players. There's an expressiveness about his playing which is often lost when it's played as a full-blast session tune.

Incidentally, the free clip fades before he gets from his introduction into the tune as most of us know it.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Le Canal October
From: Artful Codger
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 10:33 AM

"Speed the Duck"?