Origins: Fantali for Julia

Subject: RE: Origins: Fantali for Julia
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 05 Oct 11 - 05:12 AM

Thanks, Monique.

To clarify some more,
I'm looking for a (hypothetical!) song with "Fantali for Julia" as the chorus. The other lyrics, the solo part (gingo tre flickor/jäntor/etc) does turn up, but set to a different tune/meter/etc, different chorus. It seems to have been grafted upon a different song structure, like one can graft "The Fishes of the Sea" or "Ratcliffe Hghway" or "The Milkmaid" upon the chorus-tune-form of "Blow the Man Down."

Wondering if the "Fantali for Julia" part sounds like anything anyone recognizes. I'm thinking to look outside Swedish for the source.

Subject: RE: Origins: Fantali for Julia
From: Monique
Date: 05 Oct 11 - 03:53 AM

The first is in Den Svenksa sångboken as "Tre trallande jäntor", text Gustaf Fröding, musik Felix Körling, © 1905 SK-Gehrmans Musikförlag AB
There's a note that says:
"Tre trallande jäntor. (Nya dikter, 1894) Musiken komponerades av Felix Körling (1864-1937), känd som en av landets främsta barnvisekompositörer och utgivare av skolsångböker. Visan, som lär ha tillkommit under en skogsvandring i glada vänners lag, har blivit ett standardnummer in den svenska allsångsrepertoaren."
Now, don't ask me what it means! It's all I can do to help.

Subject: Origins: Fantali for Julia
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 05 Oct 11 - 12:47 AM

This is a Swedish song, supposed to have been a chanty, that appears in Sternvall's _Sång under Segel_ and (reproduced) in Hugill's _Shanties from the Seven Seas_. The lyrics begin,
"Där gingo tre flickor planterande kål," which looks to be a Swedish song at least as old as the 19th century. However, the refrain "Fantali for Julia!" and, presumably, the melody don't belong to that song.

What I'm interested to know is where this "Fantali for Julia" song (chorus + tune) comes from. Ring any bells?

I was recently looking at another Swedish chanty, "Robasbella Fredolin," and it seems the chorus/tune came from the Italian fisherman's song with chorus "Fidolin!" So I'm wondering if it might be something like that.

There are also refrains in the song that go "Oj tjohalia" and "Oj trigalia," which don't mean anything in Swedish but sound vaguely Italian to me. An opera, perhaps?