The singer goes into the woods to pick berries and finds a lark nesting. He steps on her wing and breaks it, and an argument takes place between him and the bird.
This performance is a part of a field recording of Le Festival Acadien, held in Petit-de-Grat from July 30 to August 3, 1980. It was collected for the Beaton Institute by Paula Webber, Alan Cash, Ken Simpson, and Heather MacDonald.
This annual event commemorates the arrival of the first ancestors of the Acadian people at Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The 1980 festival held special meaning as it was the 375th anniversary of the founding of Port Royal by Samuel de Champlain, thus marking the long existence of the Acadian culture in Nova Scotia.
Le Festival Acadien is an expression of a people’s pride in their heritage and culture and celebrates the past accomplishments of the hard working Acadian people. Through their music they relate the history of Acadie, and remember its heroic figures such as Evangeline and Gabriel.
Au Chant De L’Alouette, 1980. T-921. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
Artist
Petit-de-Grat Church Choir
Lyrics
Au Chant De L’Alouette
1. Mon père m’envoit à l’arbre, c’est pour y cueillir; (bis)
Je n’ai point cueilli, j’ai cherché des nids.
Refrain:
Au chant de l’alouette, je veille et je dors;
J’écoute l’alouette puis je m’endors.
2. Je n’ai point cueilli, j’ai cherché des nids; (bis)
J’ai trouvé la caille assis sur son nid. (Refrain)
3. J’ai trouvé la caille assis sur son nid; (bis)
J’ lui marchai sur l’aile et la lui rompis. (Refrain)
4. J’ lui marchai sur l’aile et la lui rompis; (bis)
Elle me dit «Pucelle, retire-toi d’ici!» (Refrain)
5. Elle me dit «Pucelle, retire-toi d’ici!» (bis)
«Je n’suis pas pucelle, je lui répondi.» (Refrain) (bis)