Annotation:Ça Ira

Back to Ça Ira

---

ÇA IRA. AKA and see "Downfall of Paris (The)." French, Air and March. The air was printed in John Watlen's Celebrated Circus Tunes (Edinburgh, 1791) soon after the events of the French revolution; Watlen notes it was "Chanted at Paris, July 14, 1790," a reference to Bastille Day. The actual storming of the Bastille occurred a year prior, on July 14, 1789, but it was commemorated a year later as Fête de la Fédération was held on July 14, 1790, as a way to celebrate the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in France. Glasgow publisher James Aird reprinted Watlen's version of the tune five years later in his Selection, vol. 4 (1796); indeed, Aird reprinted the whole of Watlen's volume without giving credit to the source.

"Ça Ira", played as a march, was adopted by the West Yorkshire Regiment of the British army as their regimental march. David Murray, writing in Music of the Scottish Regiments (Edinburgh, 1994), gives this account:

At the Battle of Famars in May, 1793, the 14th Foot- later the West Yorkshire Regiment-were being attacked by the French, whose band was playing the revolutionary song 'Ça ira':

"Ah, ça ira, ça ira, ça ira,
a la lanterne, les aristos!
Ah, ça ira, ça ira, ça ira,
Les aristocrats, on les pendra!"

The Commanding Officer of the 14th ordered his drummers to strike up 'Ça ira!' and, turning to his men, cried, 'We'll beat them to their won damned tune!" This the 14th did, and made 'Ça ira' their own. (p. 182).

The following passage is from A Contribution to the History of the Huguenots of South Carolina (1887) by Samuel Dubose and Frederick Porcher. It describes a country dance in Craven County, South Carolina in the early 1800's:

Nothing can be imagined more simple or more fascinating that those Pineville balls. Bear in mind, reader, that we are discussing old Pineville as it existed prior to 1836. No love of display governed the preparations; no vain attempt to outshine a com petitor in the world of fashion. Refreshments were provided of the simplest character, such only as the unusual exercise, and sitting beyond the usual hours of repose, would fairly warrant. Nothing to tempt the pampered appetite. Cards were usually provided to keep the elderly gentlemen quite, and the music was only that which the gentlemen's servants could produce. The company assembled early. No one ever though of waiting until bedtime to dress for the ball; a country-dance always commenced the entertainment. The lady who stood at the head of the dancers was entitled to call for the figure, and the old airs, Ca Ira, Moneymusk, Haste to the Wedding, and La Belle Catharine were popular and familiar in Pineville long after they had been forgotten, as dances, everywhere else.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Aird (Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, vol. 4), 1796; No. 103, p. 41. Watlen (The Celebrated Circus Tunes), 1791, p. 25.

Recorded sources: Maggie's Music MMCD216, Hesperus - "Early American Roots" (1997).

---