Annotation:Marche St-Jean

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MARCHE ST-JEAN. French-Canadian, March (6/8 time). D Major (Begin): A Major (Carlin). Standard tuning (fiddle). ABA' (Begin): AA'BB' (Carlin). Recorded in the 1920's by French-Canadian accordion player Biography:Alfred Montmarquette (1871-1944), a self-taught musician who, although born in New York, made his home in Montréal for most of his life. While Montmarquette composed many marches, this brisk 6/8 tune has not been attributed to him. However, his playing partner for this and several other recordings was a musician by the name of Adélard St-Jean (1890-1964), and "Marche St-Jean" may have been named in his honor. St-Jean played percussion; wooden spoons or 'bones', or (as the recording company information describes) "castignettes".

Alfred Montmarquette

Source for notated version: Montreal button-accordion player Philippe Bruneau [Bégin].

Printed sources: Bégin (Philippe Bruneau), 1993; No. 2, p. 10. Carlin (Master Collection), 1984; No. 96, p. 61.

Recorded sources: Folkways RBF111, Alfred Montmarquette - "Masters of French-Canadian Music, vol. 2" (1980). Old Hat Music OH!02, "The Old Hat Dance Band" (1992). Starr Records 15644 (78 RPM), Alfred Montmarquette with Adélard St-Jean (1930).

See also listing at:
Eric Lortie's Identitairs Québécois [1]
Hear Montmarquette's recording at the Virtual Gramophone [2]

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