The Music of Île Royale

The Colony of Île Royale ceased to exist only fifty years after its inception in 1713. Given the colony’s short existence, there was not enough time for an “Île Royalais” culture to develop, and by extension, almost no time for traditional songs to appear in its folklore (a possible exception being the Acadian lament “La Complainte de Louisbourg”). Beginning with the evacuation of the population of Placentia, Newfoundland, to Île Royale, the island received an influx of fisherman, businessmen, soldiers and sailors from places like France, Acadia and Canada. These people would have brought the songs they knew along with them- work songs, drinking songs, dancing songs, and songs of the sea.

The following recordings are French songs that were popular during the first half of the 18th century. Some became favourites in Acadia, others became popular in Canada, and certain songs would have been performed to dancing crowds in homes of the colonial upperclass.

Special thanks to Jean René Bourgeois for permission to reproduce the following recordings. All recordings were done by the traditional groups Les Habitants and Les Zorvenants. For access to Les Habitants two albums, click here.

Songs with Strong Connections to Acadia

^{Cela m’y Réjouit}

^{En Montant La Rivière}

^{Wing Tra La}

^{Dans Les Prisons de Nantes}

^{Voilà la Récompense}

^{En Buvant du Bon Vin}

^{J’ai un Ménage}

Songs of the Sea

^{Le 31 du Mois d’Août}

^{Pique La Baleine}

^{La Danaé}

Songs with Strong Connections to France

^Marlborough

^{Auprès de Ma Blonde}

^{En Passant par la Lorraine}

^{Ah Si Mon Moine}

^Bacchus

Songs with Strong Connections to Canada

^{À La Claire Fontaine}

^{Ah Toi Belle Hirondelle}

^{Au Chant de l’Alouette}

^{Derrière Chez Nous}

^{C’est l’Aviron}

^Margoton

Songs of the Colonial Upperclass

^{Branles Pinagay & Sabots}

^Tourdion

^{Branles Lavandières & L’Officiel}

All maps and illustrations courtesy Bibliothèque nationale de France – Gallica, the Normal B Levanthal Map & Education Centre and the McCord Museum

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