Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)

Subject: Lyr Add: FRÈRE JACQUES; MAUDIT SOIS-TU…; etc.
From: Charles
Date: 08 Oct 97 - 07:25 AM

Hi, some popular French canons. See the explanation here of how to sing these. Being musically challenged, I can't write the tunes for you. But some of those are very familiar (ahem. To French ears that is), so you may have heard them at school etc. Some time I'll prepare a tape.

Frère Jacques, frère Jacques
Dormez-vous, dormez-vous
Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines,
Ding-din-don, Ding-din-don.

---

Maudit sois-tu carilloneur,
Que Dieu créa pour mon malheur
Dès le point du jour à la cloche il s'accroche
Et le soir encor carillonne plus fort
Quand sonnera-t-on la mort du sonneur? (bis)
    "Le carillonneur" for "Maudit sois-tu carillonneur..."(Click to play)

---

Londres flambe (London Burns)
Londres flambe, Londres flambe,
Quelle affaire, quelle affaire,
Au feu, Au feu,
Plus d'eau, rien à faire!
    tune: "London's Burning"

---

Vent frais, vent du matin,
Vent qui souffle au sommet des grands pins,
Joie du vent qui souffle, Allons dans le grand...
    tune: "Hey ho anybody home"

---

Ego sum pauper,
Nihil habeo,
Cor meum dabo. I am poor, I have nothing, I will give my heart
    "Ego sum pauper" (Click to play)

---

Matelot, puisqu'il fait bon vent, Poussons ce soir la chansonette
Matelot, puisqu'il fait bon vent, Montons tous chanter sur l'avant
Et le chant du gaillard d'avant montera jusqu'à la dunette,
Et le chant du gaillard d'avant égaiera tout le bâtiment .
    "Matelot puisqu'il fait bon vent" (Click to play)

---

C'était au clair de lune, sur le clocher jauni,
Sur le clocher la lune, comme un point sur un i
O-la-lai di-ri-i O-la-la-ai di-ro, O-la-lai di-ri-i O-la-lai di-ro
    Ballade à la lune" = "C'était dans la nuit brune (Click to play)

---

Un gai-luron des Flandres, s'en vint en Wallonie,
S'en vint, s'en vint en Wallonie
Pour y chanter des fables, des fables de son pays la-la-la la la, la la la-la-la la la,
des fables de son pays
Et vient qui veut l'entendre, entendre de ses chansons la-la-la la la, la la la-la-la la la
Entendre de ses chansons.
    "Gai luron des Flandres" (Click to play)

Hope I haven't garbled the html. Enjoy, Charles

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Shula
Date: 08 Oct 97 - 09:22 AM

Je Reste Contente!

Merci, Merci,

Shula

Subject: Lyr Add: ORLEANS, BEAUGENCY
From: Nonie Rider
Date: 08 Oct 97 - 08:19 PM

What's the round based on bell-tower names? I forget the spelling, since I have only scraps of French:

Orleans, Beaugency, Notre Dame de Clare' Vendome, Vendome

and the kids' parody, which went something like:

Orleans, Beaugency, Chantant, chantant tout le nuit Quel ennui, quel ennui

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: alison
Date: 10 Oct 97 - 12:07 AM

Bonjour,

Ca Va? Il y a beaucoup d'ans que j'ai parlerai francais, (hence the appalling use of verbs, and getting all the genders wrong I apologise in advance.....just thought it would be fun to see if I remembered anything.....after all it's been 12 years since I've used any french,) mais il y a cannons anglais aussi.

What about Rose, Rose (there was a huge thread on this a few months back.)

A bientot

Slainte

Alison

Subject: Lyr Add: MIDNATT RÖDER TYST DET HÄR I HUSEN
From: Charles
Date: 10 Oct 97 - 11:10 AM

Orléans Beaugency etc. is about Joan of arch... Aargh! I can't remeber the rest of it!

Anyway, nice to hear from people that speak something other than English. Joe Offer's already pointed out to me that in English canons are called rounds and there are lots in the DB. What's the English version of London burns?

I remember a round in Swedish!

Midnatt röder tyst det här i husen,
Tyst i husen,
Alla söver, täker äro jusen,
Äro jusen,
Tip tap, tip tap, tipe tipe tip tap, tip, tip, tap (bis)

At least I think that's right. Calle, help us!

Charles

Subject: Lyr Add: MUSIC ALONE SHALL LIVE^^^
From: Nonie Rider
Date: 10 Oct 97 - 12:50 PM

I'd grown up on a round in English:

All things shall perish from under the sky.
Music alone shall live, music alone shall live,
Music alone shall live, never to die.

And then a net friend pointed out that it's originally German and kinda well-known. I've lost that message; anyone have the German words?

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 10 Oct 97 - 09:22 PM

Music Alone Shall Live is in the database in both German and English (with the tune).

We have fifty or more rounds entered, and several hundred waiting to be entered. I've been holding off on adding any more unless I can find the tune; rounds sort of work better with tunes, as the lyrics tend to be limited.

dick

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Oct 97 - 04:33 AM

Charles, I looked all around for the lyrics to "London's Burning," and couldn't find them. All I remember is:
Fire! Fire!
London's Burning
...and then the memory fades completely. Can someone assist my failing memory?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: LONDON'S BURNING
From: alison
Date: 12 Oct 97 - 06:43 AM

Hi

London's burning, London's burning,

Fetch the engine, fetch the engine,

Fire,Fire, Fire, Fire,

Pour on water, Pour on water.

Slainte

Alison

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Wolfgang
Date: 13 Oct 97 - 05:31 AM

correction to DT database: last line of German lyrics to "Music alone shall live" reads "aber die musici bleiben bestehn."

Subject: Lyr Add: MES AMIS QUE RESTE-TIL
From: Charles
Date: 13 Oct 97 - 10:57 AM

I remember it now:

Mes amis que reste-til,
A ce Dauphin si gentil,
Orléans, Beaugency,
Notre Dame de Cléry, Vendôme, Vendôme

It describes the state of France (the towns left to the heir, "Dauphin") in Joan of Arch's time. French folklore has a lot of stories about what she's supposed to have said.

Charles

Subject: Lyr Add: DANS LA FORÊT LOINTAINE
From: Charles
Date: 13 Oct 97 - 12:03 PM

Dans la forêt lointaine,
On entend le coucou.
Du haut de son grand chêne, Il répond au hibou. Coucou hibou coucou hibou coucou hibou coucou!

Subject: Lyr Add: LES VIOLES FREDONNENT
From: Charles
Date: 25 Nov 97 - 11:31 AM

A school favourite, I heard Spanish and German versions so there's got to be one in English. Each of the voices is a type of instrument in a small orchestra. It can be sung as a round, but it doesn't have to.

strings

Les violes fredonnent, frissonnent et puis s'envolent,
Les violes fredonnent, les violes et les violons.

woodwinds

La clarinette, la clarinette, fait dou-a dou-a dou-a dou-a net'
La clarinette, la clarinette, fait dou-a dou-a dou-a dou-a da...

brass

La trompette rouspète, ta-ra ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta,
La trompette rouspète, ta-ra ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta!

percussions

Quant à la cymbale, elle n'a que deux notes,
sol do, sol do, sol sol sol sol sol sol sol do...

Still musically challenged, but tape's in the making. Enjoy. Charles :-)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE VIOLIN'S SINGING
From: Jon W.
Date: 25 Nov 97 - 04:50 PM

Wow, Charles, you struck a "chord" in my memory. We used to sing the orchestra song when I was a Scout (our scoutmaster was crazy about vocal music). The English version as I remember it:

The violin's singing, such lovely ringing,
The violin's singing, a lovely song.

The clarinet, the clarinet, goes doodle doodle doodle det,
The clarinet, the clarinet, goes doodle doodle doodle day.

The trumpet is sounding, tara ta ta tara ta ta ta ta,
The trumpet is sounding, tara ta ta tara ta ta ta ta.

The horns, the horns, they sound so forlorn,
The horns, the horns, they wake me up morns.

The drums play in two tones and always the same tones,
Five one, one five, five five five five one.

The tune is different for each verse. We assigned parts for each boy, sang a verse solo, then the first two together, then built incrementally until all five parts were being sung together. At least that's what was supposed to happen, but we never really got it all together that I remember.

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: GUEST,Martha
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 03:09 PM

I know this song in Portuguese. I grew up in NorthEast Brasil and most likely one of the missionaries translated it into Portuguese! It is a great song to make an instant choir! We had a Reunion in the summer of 2000 in Brasil for the high school that I attended, and singing this song together one evening brought back delightful memories!! ... and we sounded really good, of course! ;o) ---------------

Here are the words in Portuguese as I can remember them... they may closely resemble a Spanish version, as the two languages are very close!

Violin: O violino soando tao suave, parece assim que deseja cantar (repeat)

Clarinet: A clarineta, a clarineta vai du du - du du - du du - du du de' (repeat)

Trumpet: A trombeta prateada, vai ta-ta-ta-ra-ta-ta-ta-ra-ta-ta!! (Repeat)

Timpani (Kettle drums): O timpano toca sempre dois tons, E'este ou este, sao sempre dois tons.

Tuba: A Tromba soa, solenimente, solenimente, trompe a soar.

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: French canons (multi-part songs)
From:
Date: 17 Aug 02 - 02:59 PM

I am a Music Education Major at Appalachian State University, and i would very much like to get my hands on the actual music, or at least a recording of the Instrument (aka Orchestra) Song. Anybody have any suggestions how i might go about that?

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 May 08 - 01:13 PM

A note and some MIDI files from Monique:

Hi again Joe

Here are some for this thread
• "Frère Jacques" = "are you sleeping Brother John", everybody knows this one
• "Le carillonneur" for "Maudit sois-tu carillonneur..."
• "Londres flambe" = "London's burning" everybody knows this one too
• "Vent frais, vent du matin" is sung to the tune to "Hey ho anybody home"
• "Ego sum pauper"
• "Matelot puisqu'il fait bon vent"
• "Ballade à la lune" = "C'était dans la nuit brune..." I don't know the tune to the o la lai di ri.." neither does any of my books. This song is been written as a poem by Alfred de Musset (1810-1857)
• "Gai luron des Flandres"



---

Ballade à la lune" = "C'était dans la nuit brune (Click to play)

"Ego sum pauper" (Click to play)

"Gai luron des Flandres" (Click to play)

"Il était une bergère" (Click to play)

"Le carillonneur" for "Maudit sois-tu carillonneur..."(Click to play)

"Matelot puisqu'il fait bon vent" (Click to play)

"Le Petit Mercelot" (Click to play)

---

Petit Mercelot thread
Il était une bergère thread
That's all for today!

Monique

---

Lyrics for most of these are in the post from Charles above, so I added links and tune references in his message.
Thanks, Monique!
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: French canons: Les Violes fredonnent
From: GUEST,m a r y d o r
Date: 26 Jan 09 - 11:53 AM

Hi everyone.

Here is another french version.

I think I could put my hand on the score, I should have it somewhere; just ask! Or I could send a mp3.

contact (you know what to put there) m a r y d o r (you know what to put there too) c o m

(if you get no answer try again after a week or so - my server sometimes goes beserk)

1- Les violes fredonnent, frissonnent et puis s'envolent
Les violes fredonnent, frissonnent et puis s'en vont.
2- Le cor, le cor, résonne encore
Le cor, le cor, résonne encore
3- La clarinette, la clarinette fais doua doua doua doua dette
La clarinette, la clarinette fais doua doua doua dette
4- Le tambour bredouille, gribouille, grenouille,
Cinq un, un cinq, boum boum boum boum boum.
5- La trompette rouspète tarata tatata tarata tatata
La trompette rouspète tarata tatata tarata ta__.
6- Le basson vient faire un point de contrepoint, dadada dada da ,dada dada
Le basson vient faire un point de contrepoint, dadada dada da ,da__.
7- Il a tout dit, tout dit, tout dit, il a tout dit, tout dit, tout dit, tout dit
Il a tout dit, tout dit, tout dit, il a tout dit c'que j'lui avait dit.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Weasel
Date: 26 Jan 09 - 12:17 PM

The orchestra song is more than just a childrens' verse - the music allocated to each instrument is very typical of the way those instruments are used in the orchestra and the song is a wonderful aid - I've used it to teach elementary orchestration to young students.

Cheers

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 26 Jan 09 - 02:27 PM

Don't the French have any bawdy ones? There are quite a few of those from 18th century England.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Monique
Date: 26 Jan 09 - 06:08 PM

Bawdy ones what? bawdy songs or bawdy canons?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 26 Jan 09 - 06:42 PM

Canons and glees. I'm thinking of things like the one (c.1770) whose text is quite innocuous as a poem - the poet says how he wants to be buried in a country churchyard. But the musical setting does a whole lot of canonic imitation on the syllable before the "-ry".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Monique
Date: 26 Jan 09 - 08:00 PM

I don't know any -which doesn't mean there isn't. Check this site. It's a bawdy songs site. (bawdy songs = chansons paillardes)
What you say about the text makes me think of "Pinaud curé" -you can find it spelled Pineau, Pinot...- the first line of each verse is quite normal but when you take a short part of it in the middle (which is the 2nd line) it's quite another story

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: GUEST,bechamel
Date: 29 Sep 09 - 08:13 AM

Le Carillon de Vendôme, as 'Orleans' has been sung by Dave Crosby and can be heard at:
http://68.178.184.142/link/David_Crosby/Orleans.mp3

It is really good and eerie! (the mode and harmony are somewhat similar to the medieval 'Nobilis Humilis Martir' from Orkney.

Neither the lyrics nor the tune are the original in this version by Still & Nash. It is a brilliant 4 part harmony (including a drone)rather than a round, but has this cyclical feel to it.

I'm writing to see if anyone could submit (in ABC or otherwise) the score of all the parts of the original XIV century canon. Or any part harmony or round version of this 'Chime of Vendôme'?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: GUEST,erratum
Date: 29 Sep 09 - 08:18 AM

it should have been: Carillon de Vendome

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 10:40 AM

I always learned the round as "Pauper sum ego". In Latin the word order isn't usually the same as English, and that way it rhymes too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Old Roger
Date: 17 Mar 10 - 06:47 AM

None of the above midi links worked for me which is sad. I am familiar with "Vent frais" but would love to learn the tunes for the others. Anybody know of an alternative source for these tunes which might work for me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Monique
Date: 17 Mar 10 - 04:11 PM

Chansons populaires et enfantines, Mama Lisa's France page

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Mar 10 - 02:26 PM

Here are some books that contain some of the songs mentioned above. If you browse in these books, you might find others you like:

LE PETIT MERCELOT

In Littérature Orale et Traditions du Nivernais: Chansons Anecdotiques by Achille Millien, Jean-Grégoire Pénavaire, 1908

Recueil de Chansons Populaires edited by Eugéne Rolland, 1886

IL ÉTAIT UNE BERGÈRE

Jeux et Exercices des Jeunes Filles by Marguerite Du Parquet, 1860.

Chants et Chansons Populaires de la France, Volume 1, 1859.

FRÈRE JACQUES

France: Méthode Directe de Français avec Notation Phonétique, Volume 2 by Gabrielle Jeanne Camerlynck-Guernier, Gustave Henri Camerlynck, 1921.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Old Roger
Date: 20 Mar 10 - 02:42 PM

Thanks Monique and Jim for those superb links. Now to get down to work on these rich sources of material.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Monique
Date: 20 Mar 10 - 03:43 PM

You also have Chants populaires français, there are 1,740 of them

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Mar 11 - 07:22 PM

I grew up in a large family, and my Dad taught us this song. There is one additional instrument.

The bassoon, it makes a point of counterpoint
Ta da da da da da, da da da da da da
The bassoon, it makes a point of counterpoint
Ta da da da da da da

It is the most musically active line of the song, and was sung by my Dad after we all sang our parts.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: Monique
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 04:16 AM

This reminds me that we have one called "Le défilé" (The parade) or "L'orchestre"; you can hear a rendition there.

DRUMS
"Papa, Maman, mon ourson n'a qu'un œil,
Papa, Maman, mon ourson n'a qu'un' dent,
Ra* que c'est embêtant d'avoir un ourson qui n'a qu'un œil,
Ra que c'est embêtant d'avoir un ourson qui n'a qu'un' dent"

(Daddy, Mommy, my teddy bear has only one eye
Daddy, Mommy, my teddy bear has only one tooth,
Ra, how annoying to have a teady bear that has only one eye,
Ra, how annoying to have a teady bear that has only one tooth)

*Ra, argh... whatever sounding like a drum roll

TRUMPETS
Oui, mon papa l'a dit,
Et ma maman aussi.
Et mon papa m'achètera une jolie trompette,
Et mon papa m'achètera une trompette en bois.

(Yes, my daddy said so,
And my mommy also.
And my daddy will buy me a pretty trumpet,
and my daddy will buy me a wooden trumpet)

The lyrics for the drums have been "sanitized", the traditional version goes "un enfant" (a child), not "un ourson" (a teddy bear).
Since it's supposed to be a parade passing by, you start with the drums alone, talking low then louder and louder then lower and lower. The trumpets can join in when the drums have said their verse a couple of times, first low, then louder etc... and they stop before the drums.

You can hear the drums included in a version of the Scouts song "Dans la troupe"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 11:19 AM

Roger, did you ever get the links to work? They work for me now (one year later).


Two tips for music in general:

Sometimes when a MIDI won't play with a left click, it will play if you right click instead, then Open in a New Window.

Sometimes if you have something minimized that uses sound, then that feature 'has dibs' on your speakers even though it's not playing anything, and the new item can't play.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: French canons (multi-part songs)
From: GUEST,Morgana
Date: 13 Mar 11 - 04:54 PM

Charles, Alison, and Joe:

I know the round "London's Burning" as "Scotland's Burning", and the lyrics go like this:

scotland's burning, scotland's burning
look out, look out
fire, fire, fire, fire
pour on water, pour on water

Thank you Charles, and everybody else who's put lyrics on here; I'm always looking for new French folk songs.