Melody
"Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" ("French: Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle") is a Christmas carol which originated from the Provence region of France in the 17th century.
The carol was first published in France, and was subsequently translated into English in the 18th century. The song was originally not meant for Christmas; it was considered dance music for French nobility.[ citation needed ]
The carol first appeared in print in 1688 with the Provençal text Venès lèu, Vèire la piéucello; Venès lèu, Genti pastourèu! [1] in a collection of twelve Provençal Christmas carols by Nicolas Saboly. [2] The popularity of the melody is attested by its use four years later by Marc-Antoine Charpentier for the drinking song, "Qu'ils sont doux, bouteille jolie" in a 1672 revival of Molière's Le Médecin malgré lui . [3]
To this day on Christmas Eve in Provence, children dress as shepherds and milkmaids, bringing torches and candles while singing the carol on their way to Midnight Mass.
The characters "Jeannette" and "Isabelle/Isabella" are two female farmhands who have found the Baby Jesus and his mother Mary in a stable. Excited by this discovery, they run to a nearby village to tell the inhabitants, who rush to see the new arrivals. Visitors to the stable are urged to keep their voices quiet, so the newborn can enjoy his dreams.
Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle,
Un flambeau, courons au berceau!
C'est Jésus, bonnes gens du hameau,
Le Christ est né; Marie appelle,
Ah! Ah! Ah! Que la Mère est belle,
Ah! Ah! Ah! Que l'Enfant est beau!
Qui vient là, frappant de la sorte?
Qui vient là, en frappant comme ça?
Ouvrez-donc, j'ai posé sur un plat
De bons gâteaux, qu'ici j'apporte
Toc! Toc! Ouvrons-nous la porte!
Toc! Toc! Faisons grand gala!
C'est un tort, quand l'Enfant sommeille,
C'est un tort de crier si fort.
Taisez-vous, l'un et l'autre, d'abord!
Au moindre bruit, Jésus s'éveille.
Chut! chut! Il dort à merveille,
Chut! chut! Voyez comme il dort!
Doucement, dans l'étable close,
Doucement, venez un moment!
Approchez! Que Jésus est charmant!
Comme il est blanc! Comme il est rose!
Do! Do! Que l'Enfant repose!
Do! Do! Qu'il rit en dormant! [4]
Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella,
Bring a torch, to the cradle run!
It is Jesus, good folk of the village;
Christ is born and Mary's calling:
Ah! Ah! Beautiful is the Mother!
Ah! Ah! Beautiful is Her Son!
Who is that, knocking on the door?
Who is it, knocking like that?
Open up, we've arranged on a platter
Lovely cakes that we have brought here
Knock! Knock! Open the door for us!
Knock! Knock! Let's celebrate!
It is wrong when the Child is sleeping,
It is wrong to talk so loud"
Silence, all, as you gather around,
Lest your noise should waken Jesus:
Hush! Hush! See how fast He slumbers;
Hush! Hush! See how fast He sleeps!
Softly to the little stable,
Softly for a moment come;
Look and see how charming is Jesus,
How He is white, His cheeks are rosy!
Hush! Hush! See how the Child is sleeping;
Hush! Hush! See how He smiles in dreams! [4]
Werther is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann. It is loosely based on Goethe's epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, which was based both on fact and on Goethe's own early life. Earlier examples of operas using the story were made by Kreutzer (1792) and Pucitta (1802).
François Gilbert Léopold Silly, known professionally as Gilbert Bécaud, was a French singer, composer, pianist and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-known hits are "Nathalie" and "Et maintenant", a 1961 release that became an English language hit as "What Now My Love". He remained a popular artist for nearly fifty years, identifiable in his dark blue suits, with a white shirt and "lucky tie"; blue with white polka dots. When asked to explain his gift he said, "A flower doesn't understand botany." His favourite venue was the Paris Olympia under the management of Bruno Coquatrix. He debuted there in 1954 and headlined in 1955, attracting 6,000 on his first night, three times the capacity. On 13 November 1997, Bécaud was present for the re-opening of the venue after its reconstruction.
Gilles Vigneault is a Canadian poet, publisher, singer-songwriter, and Quebec nationalist and sovereigntist. Two of his songs are considered by many to be Quebec's unofficial anthems: "Mon pays" and "Gens du pays", and his line Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver became a proverb in Quebec. Vigneault is a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec, Knight of the Legion of Honour, and Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Raymond Berthiaume was a Canadian jazz singer, musician, producer and composer from Quebec, Canada.
Sagesse is a volume of French poetry by Paul Verlaine. First published in 1881, it was important in the symbolist and modernist movements, as well as inspiring many musical compositions.
This article presents the discography of the French pop singer Véronique Sanson.
Danny Boy et ses Pénitents is a French rock'n'roll, twist and beat band of the 1960s whose singer was Danny Boy, real name Claude Piron, born on 25 January 1936 in Saint-Pierre-de-Cormeilles (Eure). The four musicians (Penitents) who accompanied Danny Boy were wearing a balaclava.
Les Compagnons de la chanson were a French harmony vocal group, formed in 1946 from an earlier group founded in Lyon, France in 1941. Their best known song was "Les trois cloches" recorded with Edith Piaf in 1946. Consisting of eight or nine members in the group, they were popular in France, with some success internationally. They performed until 1985 when they disbanded.
Colette Renard, born Colette Lucie Raget, was a French actress and singer. Renard is closely associated with the titular character from the musical Irma La Douce, a role she played for over a decade.
"Il est né, le divin Enfant" is a traditional French Christmas carol.
Germaine Pointu, known as Germaine Cernay, was a French mezzo-soprano who was active both in the opera house and on the concert platform.
Juana Romani was an Italian-born French portrait painter and artists' model.
Salut les copains is a series of albums released through Universal Music France to commemorate the best of music featured in French scene as sponsored by the "Salut les copains" radio program in France and the French Salut les copains magazine. The tracks include French original singles, French-language covers of known hits as well as European and American hits popular in France. The track list is a representative wide selection of the "Yé-yé" generation of French music.
Georges Poubennec, better known under the name Georges Aber, was a French singer-songwriter.
Daniel DeShaime is a Canadian French-language singer.
Lucky Blondo is a French singer who was popular in the 1960s.
Charles Delange ( –1871) was a 19th-century French chansonnier.
Les Djinns is one of the most famous poems of French author Victor Hugo, published in 1829 in his collection Les Orientales.
Nicolas Saboly was a French poet, composer and choirmaster. He composed many Christmas carols in Provençal Occitan which form one of the monuments of poetry in that language and have been continuously republished until the present day.
