Annotation:Reel de Tadoussac (1)
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REEL DE TADOUSSAC [1] (Tadoussac Reel). AKA and see "Big Ship (The)," “Bluebell Reel,” "Glise à Sherbrooke," "Home Sweet Home Reel," "Quadrille de chez nous." French-Canadian, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BB'. Tadoussac is a town on the west bank of the St. Lawrence river, above Quebec City. Editor Joyal points out the interesting juxtaposition when one compares fiddler Joseph Allard's two versions, recorded 18 years apart (when the violinist was aged 55 and 73, respectively). He recorded the melody in 1928 under the title “Quadrille de chez nous” (Our House/Home Quadrille) {Victor 263514}, and again in 1945 as “Reel de Tadoussac” (Victor Bluebird 55-5225). It appears Allard's style of playing remained remarkably consistent over the intervening years, as the two versions are almost identical. “Reel de Tadoussac" (or, as New England fiddlers tend to call it, "Glise a Sherbrooke”) is the tune played for the dance La Grande Chaine. René Houlé recorded a “Reel de Tadoussac” in 1931, but it is a different tune (See "Reel de Tadoussac (2)".
Fiddler Lisa Ornstein points out the reel is an elaborate setting of the familiar song melody “Home Sweet Home,” composed by Sir Henry Bishop (1786-1855), an operatic conductor, composer and arranger. It first appeared in the play Clari, or the Maid of Milan, by John Howard Payne, produced in London in 1823.
Source for notated version:
Printed sources: Cuillerier (Joseph Allard), 1992; p. 20. Joyal (Danses d'ici: Musique Traditionnelle du Québec), 1994; pp. 23 & 88.
Recorded sources: Bluebird 55-5225-a (78 RPM), Joseph Allard (1946). Folkways RBF 110, "Masters of French Canadian Dances--Joseph Allard, Violin" (a re-release of the Victor original). Le Tamanoir TAM-511, "Joseph Allard, violoneux" on "Portrait du vieux Kebec, volume 11." Victor 263514 (78 RPM), Joseph Allard (1928). Calvin Volroth - "Tunes from My Past."
See also listing at:
See fiddler Pascal Gemme's standard notation on his blog entry [1]
Hear fiddler Calvin Valroth's version on youtube.com [2]