Alkemie - Call Me Marie - Volez vous que je vos chant - Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fr. 765
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Published 2024-06-26
A new program based on the fables told by a 12th-century woman who pen-named herself “Marie de France.” Created and performed in collaboration with the Grammy-nominated duo Chapter House, this English-language version of her tales told by master storyteller Sarah Walker is sure to delight children and adults alike.
ALKEMIE
Tracy Cowart (voice, harp)
Ben Matus (percussion)
David McCormick (vielle)
Sian Ricketts (voice, recorder)
Niccolo Seligmann (vielle)
~with~
CHAPTER HOUSE
Peter Walker (voice)
Volez vous que je vous chant
un son d’amors avenant?
Vilain ne.l fist mie,
ainz le fist un chevalier
souz l’onbre d’un olivier
entre les braz s’amie.
Chemisete avoit de lin
et blanc peliçon hermin
et bliaut de soie,
chauces ot de jaglolai
et sollers de flors de mai,
estroitement chauçade.
Çainturete avoit de fueille
qui verdist quant li tens mueille;
d’or ert boutonade.
L’aumosniere estoit d’amor;
li pendant furent de flor,
par amors fu donade.
Si chevauchoit une mule;
d’argent ert la ferreüre,
la sele ert dorade;
seur la crope par derrier
avoit planté trois rosiers
por fere li honbrage.
Si s’en vet aval la pree;
chevaliers l’ont encontree,
biau l’ont saluade:
“Bele, don’t estes vous nee?”
De France sui, la löee,
du plus haut parage.
Li rosignous est mon pere
qui chante seur la ramee
el plus haut boscage;
la seraine, ele est ma mere
que chante en la mer sale
el plus haut rivage.”
“Bele, bon fussiez vous nee,
Bien estes enparentee
et de haut parage;
pleüst a Dieu nostre pere
que vous me fussiez done
a fame espousade!”
Do you wish me to sing you
a sweet song of love?
No rustic composed it,
but rather a knight,
in the shade of an olive tree,
in the arms of his sweetheart.
She wore a linen shift,
a white ermine wrap,
and a tunic of silk;
she had stockings of iris
and shoes of mayflowers,
fitting just right.
She wore a sash of leaves
whose green deepened in the rain;
it had buttons of gold.
Her purse was of love,
with pendants of flowers:
it was a love-gift.
She was riding a mule;
its shoes were of silver
and its saddle of gold;
on the crupper behind her
three rosebushes grew
to provide her with shade.
So she went down through the field;
some knights came upon her
and greeted her nicely:
“Lovely lady, where were you born?”
“I am from France – I am renowned,
of the highest birth.
The nightingale is my father,
who sings on the branches
high in the forest;
the siren is my mother,
who sings high on the shore
of the salt sea.”
“Lovely lady, may such birth bode well!
You are of fine family
and high birth;
would to God our father
that you were given me
as my wedded wife!”
~Translation by Samuel N. Rosenberg
Audio/Video Production - Charles Mueller
This concert was filmed January 13, 2023 at Tiny Panther Recording.
Alkemie's NYC Concerts are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
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