Cardin, Chansons d’Acadie, vol. 2

Michel Cardin, Chansons d’Acadie, vol. 2

Ten songs for voice and guitar or theorbo.

This edition of 20 songs follows on from the CD I recorded with soprano Rose Marie Bernaquez, who chose them herself from some 600 French and Acadian folk songs collected orally in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by archivists Anselme Chiasson and Daniel Boudreau between 1942 and 1993.

Since the 11 collections published by Chiasson and Boudreau contain only the melody in addition to the lyrics, it was with great enthusiasm that I undertook to harmonize them, seeking above all not to weigh down what must remain an accompaniment whose aim is to support what the lyrics are saying, rather than to over-decorate them with colourful features that could clutter them up.

I have tried to strike a balance between three elements: 1) a harmony that is varied but faithful to the universal cadential principles of the successive eras of our European music, 2) the spirit of the continuo proper to the lutenists/theorbists of the Baroque period, which implies a permanent weighting between the bass, the chords and the passing notes, and 3) an accentuation and a variety of timbral colors that best underline what the words of the songs express.

Knowing that many of these tunes date back to the time of the first Acadians in America (who arrived from France in 1604), and that this was exactly the time of the theorbo's reign as an accompaniment instrument in the history of music, it seemed appropriate to marry voice and theorbo. For the present edition, however, I've added a flexible, easy-touse version for classical guitar, as well as chord symbols for those seeking a simpler accompaniment.  (Michel Cardin)

• Product: Self-Print (PDF) or Print on Demand
• Pages: 32 pages
• Level: Intermediate
• Order number: BE-250237
  
• ISMN 979-0-706843-23-0