Poulenc, Chansons Francaises: Margoton va t’a l’iau • Pronunciation is on the CD • The music is oddly laid out in one respect. The last note on page 3 actually is the first note of the first measure on page 4. So sopranos should not have a eighth rest to start page 4; they should have the last note on page 3 there instead. So when you number your measures, don’t count the final eighth note on each page as being a measure. There are 16 measures per page. • Please number your measures, there are 130 in the piece. • Ignore the solo markings on page 8 • Unexpectedly Hard Measures: Alto 15; Men 18-21; Tenors 43-44; Men 50-53; Tenors 82-85; Men 114-116 Margoton goes to fetch water Margoton goes to fetch water with her little jug The spring was in a deep hollow and she fell in Oh dear... said Margoton to herself. Margoton goes to fetch water with her little jug Three handsome young men pass by Oh dear... said Margoton to herself. Margoton goes to fetch water with her little jug What will you give, pretty one, if we pull you out? Oh dear... said Margoton to herself. Margoton goes to fetch water with her little jug Pull me out first, she says, and then we'll see Oh dear... said Margoton to herself. Margoton goes to fetch water with her little jug When the pretty one was out she strikes up a song Oh dear... said Margoton to herself. Margoton goes to fetch water with her little jug This is not what we want, pretty one Oh dear... said Margoton to herself. Margoton goes to fetch water with her little jug It is to hold your little heart if we may Oh dear... said Margoton to herself. Margoton goes to fetch water with her little jug My little heart, sirs, is not for lechers Oh dear... said Margoton to herself. Poulenc, Chansons Francaises: La belle se died au pied de la tour • Pronunciation is on the CD • Please number your measures, there are 28 in the piece • Men, you might expect it to be a three-part split, but it’s not • WOMEN: Put an eighth rest at the end of bar 3 • MEN: Put an eighth rest at the end of bar 9 • S: Insert an eighth rest after the first note of bar 25 • A: Cut off the tied over eighth note in bar 25 • Unexpectedly Hard Measures: Men 17-18 The fair maid sits at the foot of the tower, And weeps and moans and heaves with great grief. Her father asks: daughter what is wrong Do you want a husband or do you want a lord. I do not want a husband, I do not want a lord, I want my beloved who languishes in the tower. By heaven, my dear daughter, you shall not have him For tomorrow he is to be hanged at dawn. Father, if they hang him, bury me beneath So people will say these were loyal lovers. Poulenc, Chansons Francaises: Pilons l’orge • Pronunciation is on the CD • Please number your measures, there are 53 in the piece • B: Please do not sing this piece, tenors only • WOMEN: Please do a three-part split throughout the piece • Please breathe only where there are rests • Unexpectedly Hard Measures: Tenors, last note Thrash the barley, thrash the barley, Thrash the barley, thrash it well. My father is going to marry me off Thrash the barley, thrash it well He's giving me to a rascal Pull here, pull there He's giving me to a rascal Thrash the barley, thrash it well Who never gave me a thing Pull here, pull there Who never gave me a thing Thrash the barley, thrash it well But if he continues in that Pull here, pull there But if he continues in that Thrash the barley, thrash it well He will be soundly beaten Pull here, pull there Poulenc, Chansons Francaises: Clic, clac, dansez sabots • Pronunciation is on the CD • Please number your measures, there are 102 in the piece • The solo is up for grabs by anyone who wants it • Please do a three-part split. There is one exception to this, in bars 77-80, where you should do a four-part split among the three lines • In general, dotted quarter notes are staccato unless being sung to “Ah!”. Notice that there are two different “Ah!” notes, one like in bar 9 where there’s multiple notes under one “Ah!” and one like in bar 23 where there’s a new “Ah” for each note. The latter will be separated, not really short notes, but with a space between each one. I’ll certainly be experimenting with that a bit in rehearsals • ALL: Change to forte in bar 85 and fortissimo in bar 87 • Unexpectedly Hard Measures: Baritones 29-30, All 71-72, All 73-74, All 77-78, Baritones 95-98 Click, clack, dance clogs and let the canons explode. Click, clack, dance clogs and let the reed-pipes sing out. But how is one to call the tune when the pretty girls are not here Let us seek the girls surely we won't go without Well, good-day, lords and ladies will you give us the pretty girl there? Girls are made for housework and to look after the home Yes, but to get married you need to have boys You did not do things any differently, you sir and you, madam Then you can go to the devil and good riddance Ah, sir and you too, madam Let us embrace and have done. Poulenc, Chansons Francaises: C’est la petit’ fill’ du prince • Pronunciation is on the CD • Please number your measures, there are 187 in the piece • MEN: Please do a three-part split • Every verse is four phrases: 4 bars, 4 bars, 4 bars, 5 bars. Generally, you’ll breathe after every phrase, unless you’re singing “ah” in both measures, in which case you’ll carry through. (For instance, sopranos will breathe after bar 21, but not altos) • Bar,B: Please breathe after bar 70, 72, 74, and 76 • ALL: Anytime you have the lines on “ah”, where you have one half note per measure, please mark between each note whether it’s a whole step or half step between the notes. This is where all our whole-step/half-step work will come into play; it’s important to be exact with these notes, they’re more important (and more difficult) than they seem at first glance. 18-25: all half-steps. 35-42: Whole-Half-Half-Half-Half-Half-Whole. 52-59: all half-steps. 86-93: W-H-H-SKIP-W-H-H. 103-110: W-H-H-H-H-H-W. 120-127: H-H-W-H-W-H-H. 137-144: all half-steps. 154-161: W-H-H-H-H-H-W. 171-178: W-H-H-H-H-H-W. • Unexpectedly Hard Measures: Baritone & Bass 69-76 The prince's little daughter wanted to marry On the banks of the Loire will you marry, pretty maid On the banks of the water, of the Loire, pretty sailor She saw a boat coming and in it forty gentlemen. The youngest of the forty began singing her a song. That song you sing, I would like to learn. If you come into my boat, pretty one, I'll teach you it. The fair one paced up and down listening to the song. As she finished her pacing she began to weep. Why weep so, my love, when I sing you a song. My heart is full of years because you have won it. Let not your heart weep, pretty one, I shall give it back. It is not so easy to give it back as money that is lent. Poulenc, Chansons Francaises: La belle si nous étions • Pronunciation is on the CD • Please number your measures, there are 44 in the piece. The opening incomplete measure with just an eighth note in it is not counted as a bar; it is considered the “pickup” to bar 1. • Please do a three-part split My fair one, if we were within these woods We'd have plenty of fine nuts to eat, We'd eat to our hearts' content. My fair one, your beauty has me tied up in knots, Tied up in knots has me your beauty. My fair one, if we were within this fish pond We'd put some little sucks there to swim around, We'd put them there to our hearts' content. My fair one, your beauty has me tied up in knots, Tied up in knots has me your beauty. My fair one, if we were within this oven We'd have nice little warm patés to eat, We'd eat to our hearts' content. My fair one, your beauty has me tied up in knots, Tied up in knots has me your beauty. My fair one, if we were within this garden We'd sing there all day long, We'd sing to our hearts' content. My fair one, your beauty has me tied up in knots, Tied up in knots has me your beauty. Poulenc, Chansons Francaises: Ah! Mon Beau Laboureur • Pronunciation is on the CD • Please number your measures, there are 73 in the piece • ST: Breathe after bar 1, 2, 4 • ATB: Breathe after bar 8, 10, 14, 16 (being sure to line up breaths) • ALL: Breathe after bar 22, 26, 28 • ATB: Breathe after bar 32, 34, 38, 40 • ALL: Breathe after bar 44, 50, 52, 58, 62, 64, 70 • Unexpectedly Hard Measures: Alto 21-22, Soprano 45-46, Soprano 52 (the A#). Ah! My handsome farm lad, Ah! my handsome farm lad, Handsome farm lad working on the vines, Handsome farm lad working on the vines. Have you seen Marguerite, my love, pass by? I'll give a hundred écus to him who tells me where she is. Sir, count them out there, come into our vineyard Beneath a plum tree the pretty maid is sleeping. I budged her three times without her stirring The fourth time her little heart sighed. What are you sighing for, Marguerite, my love? I sigh for you, and do not deny it. The neighbours have seen us and will tell all, Let people gossip, we'll just laugh. When they've said all, they won't have more to say. Handsome farm lad working on the vines, Handsome farm lad working on the vines. Poulenc, Chansons Francaises: Les Tisserands • Pronunciation is on the CD • Please number your measures, there are 63 in the piece • Men, please do a three-part split • Unexpectedly Hard Measures: Men 37 The weavers are worse than the bishops Every Monday they have a jolly time And tip and tap, and tip and tap Is it too coarse? Is it too fine? Late in bed, early to rise, In plying the shuttle good times will come. Every Monday they have a jolly time On Tuesday they have a headache. On Tuesday they have a headache On Wednesday they go to load their looms. On Wednesday they go to load their looms On Thursday they go to see their mistress. On Thursday they go to see their mistress On Friday they work without ceasing. On Friday they work without ceasing On Saturday their place is not quite finished. On Saturday their place is not quite finished And on Sunday money is needed, master.