Skye Consort – Grands succès du deuxième millénaire

Skye Consort

Skye Consort

1. A l’entrada del tens clar arr. S. Dagher 3:29
2. La Prime Estampie Royal arr. A. Kehler 1:08
3. Ah, que nos pères arr. S. Dagher 3:21
4. La Seconde Estampie Royal arr. S. Dagher 1:04
5. Le Prisonnier de Nantes arr. S. Dagher 2:26
6. La Tierche Estampie Roial arr. A. Kehler / S. Dagher 1:39
7. L’amour de moy arr. S. Dagher 2:47
8. La Quarte Estampie Royal arr. A. Kehler 2:09
9. Anne de Bretagne arr. S. Dagher 4:12
10. La Quinte Estampie Real arr. S. Dagher 1:27
11. Le Galant Noyé arr. S. Dagher 3:44
12. La Seste Estampie Real arr. S. Dagher 1:19
13. Kalenda Maya arr. S. Dagher 4:39
14. La Septime Estampie Real arr. S. Dagher 1:56
15. Volez vous que je vous chante arr. S. Dagher 3:00
16. La Uitime Estampie Real arr. B. Grossman 2:28
17. Be m’an perdut arr. S. Dagher 4:26
18. Dansse Real (9e estampie) arr. S. Dagher / A. Keesmaat 0:34
19. Belle Virginie arr. S. Dagher 2:30
20. (10e estampie) arr. S. Dagher 1:28
21. Douce Dame Jolie comp. Guillaume de Machaut
arr. S. Dagher		 2:34
22. Danse Pensée (11e estampie) comp. Seán Dagher 1:26


A l’Entrada Del Tens Clar, Volez Vous Que Je Vous Chante, Douce Dame Jolie
The trouvères were the poet/musicians employed by the aristocracy of the north of France and Norman England in the 13th and 14th centuries. They wrote in Langue d’Oil (old French) on a wide range of subjects, from love to politics. “A l’Entrada Del Tens Clar” is a 13th century anonymous Dance Song (translated from an earlier troubadour song) on the themes of lust and jealousy. “Volez Vous Que Je Vous Chante” is a 13th century anonymous Reverdie on the themes of lust and status. “Douce Dame Jolie” is a Monophonic Virelai by the 14th century composer Guillaume de Machaut (c.1300 ­ 1377), one of the greats masters of the middle ages. The song’s main themes are lust and desire.

Kalenda Maya, Be M’An Perdut
The troubadours were the poet/musicians employed by the aristocracy of southern France, northern Italy and Catalonia in the 12th and 13th centuries. They wrote in Langue d’Oc (Provençal) on a wide range of subjects, from politics to love. “Kalenda Maya” is an estampie by the 12th century troubadour Raimbaut de Vaqueiras (c.1150-1207). It is a plaintive rant by from rejected lover. “Be M’An Perdut” is a Canso by the 12th century troubadour Bernart de Ventadorn (fl.1145-1180). It is the lament of a rejected lover.

Skye Consort
photo: H. Fortin
Ah! Que Nos Pères, Anne de Bretagne, Belle Virginie
These three very well known songs from the French oral tradition, each found several different versions. “Ah! Que Nos Pères” is a drinking song, possibly from the 19th century, about the cult of wine. “Anne de Bretagne” is impossible to date but the Duchess in question lived from 1477 to 1514. The song only scratches the surface of her intriguing life story. “Belle Virginie” probably dates from an era of large-scale emigration or world exploration, perhaps the 18th century. As beautiful as the melody is, only the most romantic among us can possibly believe that Virginie ever saw her “Cher Amant” again.

Le Prisonnier de Nantes, Le Galant Noyé
These variants of French folk songs were collected in Québec and their forms are typical of Québec’s folksong tradition. The three main elements of the songs (the words, the melody, and the nonsense refrain between iterations of the first line) are independent of each other and any singer can combine different elements from various songs to create new variants. Both protagonists jump in the water, that “Prisonnier” makes it out while the “Galant” doesn’t seems very unfair. “Le Galant Noyé’s” English “nonsense” refrain suggests that this variant dates from after 1779.