Un Canadien errant - theme from the ‘Patriotes Soundtrack’ 1/2
It was during the first hard years of the Patriotes’ exile, in
1842, when a student wrote new topical lyrics for an old folk
song. It became an instantly popular because it eloquently
expressed the longing of an exile for his native land. It is the
rare matching of words and ideas with a simple, honest melody.
If sung as a “chansonàrépondre” you can imagine a canoe full of
men in the northwest. The leader sings the couplet, then the
rest of the voyageurs repeat it - using the rhythm to
synchronize and pace their strokes … and the sentiment to divert
their minds from the hard labour and the long day. One could
hear Un Canadien errant sung both in the bush and the cities of
Upper Canada - from the Rockies to Lake Winnipeg and at the most
distant outposts in Canada’s northwest. from: Chansons
Populaires du Canada; Ernest Gagnon; 1880; Librairie Beauchemin.