Annotation:Gigue des amoureux
X:1 T:Gigue des amoureux C:Trad., rep. Isidore Soucy M:C| L:1/8 D:Starr 15568 (78 RPM), Isidore Soucy & Donat Lafleur, (1929) B:Demers (1000 airs du Québec et de l'Amérique francophone), 2020; p. 87 Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz from Soucy's recording K:A |:efed c2c'2|c'bag b2b2 |dedc B2b2|bagb a2a2:| |:ceee dfff|eaaa gbbb|ac'c'c' b2bb|babc' a2a2:|
GIGUE DES AMOUREUX (Lover's Jig). French-Canadian, Reel (2/4 or cut time). A Major: G Major (Demers, Duval). Standard tuning (fiddle). Isidore Soucy researcher Jean Duval maintains that "Gigue des amoureux", recorded by fiddler Soucy and accordion player Donat Lefleur in 1929, is a derivative version of an old English country dance tune called "Simple George." The latter was printed in London by the music publishing firm of the Thompson family in 1757. How it might have survived in tradition to surface in Montreal in the 1920's is a mystery, however, while generally similar melodically and in phrasing, there are also significant differences and a relationship with the English country dance tune is probably speculative.
