Gallant's take on this Acadian folksong is lively and engaging, featuring the quintessential elements of the tradition: podorythmie (seated foot-tapping), diddlage (mouth music), and the spoons. With playful vocal slides and energetic rhythmic motifs, this arrangement offers a modern twist on this well-loved melody from the French-Canadian oral tradition. An English (non-singing) translation is included in the leaflet, while a studio recording, pronunciation guides, and an instructional video on playing techniques are accessible through the companion website. Also available in a version for SATB, body percussion, and spoons.

Programme Notes:
This is an arrangement of an Acadian folksong entitled Marie Madeleine, more commonly classified in the French-Canadian folksong repertoire as Une petite vache noire. This short, lively piece is loads of fun and highlights the quintessential elements of the Acadian folksong tradition: podorythmie (seated foot-tapping), diddlage (mouth music), and the spoons. A challenging and complex piece, it reflects the innate musicality of this long-standing Canadian oral tradition while stretching the tradition to include more modern elements.

The Acadians are a French-speaking diasporic community who largely live in Canadas east coast provinces. During colonial times, the Acadians endured a series of deportations by the English in small groups from Canada beginning in 1755. Though many returned after a seven-year exile, some Acadians found a new home, including those who are the ancestors of the Cajuns in Louisiana.

Although this folksong can be found in other parts of French Canada, I chose to feature the Acadian dialect in this rendition because it is emblematic of the role that language plays in creating social inequity. Acadian writer and historian, George Arsenault, generously helped me to include various elements of the Acadian dialect such as the phrase yin que (which has the same meaning as rien que in standardized French). Due to their colonial past, the Acadians have a different sense of history and linguistic identity to that of Canadas larger French population, the Québécois. This piece shines a light on the social and linguistic stratification of the Acadians whoup until more recent yearswere thought to be lesser in social status than other Canadians.

This song is part of my family story. It often was sung by my father, my Auntie Lily, and my Uncle Richard, all Acadians who suffered the impacts of these historic wrongs. My father, Paul Gallant (19172008), was the youngest of ten children and had a grade eight education. He was the lucky one; most of my Acadian aunts and uncles could not read or write. Folksong would remain the only remnant of my fathers Acadian past because he not only had to lose his French accent to find work, but was told by a nun from Québec to stop speaking the Acadian dialect at home because it was a low class form of French. I dedicate this arrangement to my fathers memory with love.
Jeanette Gallant, 2020