This probably started life as a French folk-song. There are numerous settings of it, from the 16th C onwards, including 4-part versions by both Arcadelt and Lassus. This is a monophonic (one-part) version based on Arcadelt's setting - i.e. this is a piece of light speculation about what the "original" (or "an original", because there will have been many versions) folk-song might have looked like. I learned it like this by ear years ago, and I don't know the source.
Apparently (i.e. I've read it somewhere, but I can't remember where) it was still sung as a work-song in Quebec in the 20th century.
- Margot slowly (midi)
Once through: chorus, verse, chorus.
It's quite a bit slower than we'd usually sing it. The tune is doubled at the octave where we'd normally have everyone singing, and is quiet, and only in the higher octave, where only the "caller" sings.
We do this in a call-and-response format: details are in the document below with the words (along with a loose translation).
- Monophonic (one line only) (pdf) - has words only for chorus and first verse
- Words only for whole song (pdf)
Music Categories:
Pronunciation guides by Katherine Davies, aiming for French of the 1st half of the 16th century.
- spoken: chorus - verses - (mp3)
- written in IPA (pdf)
Pronuciation guides based on:
McGee, Rigg and Klausner (eds), Singing Early Music, chapter 13, "Old French", by Robert Taylor (pp 65-89), Indiana UP, 1996.
A ninth (C-D, as written). Can be sung at any convenient pitch.