LA VALSE DE MARIE
(Marie's Waltz, a.k.a. « Together »)
TITLE: La valse de Marie
INSTRUMENTATION: SSAA a cappella
TIME: 3m30s
$/COPY: $3.00 CAD (+tx where applicable)
SAMPLE: click here
TEXT
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Viens, viens
Qu’on se dépose
un instant
loin du train quotidien
Viens, viens,
reprenons notre souffle
d’enfance,
T’en souviens-tu du chemin?
Viens, viens,
retournons au bercail
un moment
qu’on retrouve les cousins
Tiens, tiens,
tends-moi la main
on y va
On y croisera sûrement Marie …
​
Échangeons nos nouvelles
Ranimons nos souv’nirs
Épluchons nos querelles
À en pleurer de rire
Et parmi les semances
De nos grandes confidences,
On ressent sa présence
Qui se lance en cadence
​
Ensemble
le temps d'une épluchette
ou d’un conte,
Qui nous rassemble
le temps d'une causette vagabonde
Un défilé tendre de gestes chéris :
voilà où virevolte l'âme de notre amie,
de notre Marie.
​
Viens,
Qu’on s’élance en vélo
Sur la digue
inspirer l’air marin
Viens,
Qu’on y danse une vie
Sous la voûte étoilée
On y saluera sûrement Marie …
​
Remplis d'allégresse,
Accueillons l’aventure:
Une promesse d’ivresse
À sa juste mesure
Et parmi l’abondance
De nos réjou-issances,
Son esprit s’y relance,
Nous incite que l’on danse
Ensemble ...
Courtesy translation by Aella Choir
Come, come
let's rest
a moment
far from everyday life
let's go
catch our
childhood breath
do you remember the way?
Come, come,
let's return to our roots
for a moment
let's find our cousins
hold, hold,
hold out your hand
let’s go
and there, we'll surely meet Marie …
Let's trade news,
revive our memories,
make light of our quarrels
'til we're crying with laughter
And among the seeds
of our great confidences,
we feel her presence
launching itself in rhythm
Together
Time enough for corn shucking
or storytelling,
bringing us together
time enough for a quick chat
A tender string of cherished moments:
this is where the soul of our friend, of our Marie, flies.
Come,
let's go out and bike
on the sand dunes
and breathe in the sea air
come,
let’s dance out a life
under the starry vault
and there, we'll surely greet Marie …
Filled with joy,
let's welcome adventure:
promising just enough
unrestraint
And among the abundance
of our joy,
her spirit rekindles its dance,
encouraging us to join in
together
PROGRAM NOTES
​
"La valse de Marie" is a call to slow down and to one's roots and gather together once in a while, with as many little stolen moments as possible. It is also an hommage to Marie Paquette Rivard, beloved mother of Aella Choir's chorister Josée Rivard, who was a dancer, harpist, singer, choir mom, and all-'round staunch supporter of the Franco-Ontarian arts. Marie suddenly passed away in 2022, and is remembered by how she celebrated life.
This piece was a collaboration between Marie-Claire Saindon and Marie's family: her children wrote down as many that they associated with their mother, after which, their uncle, and Marie's brother, singer-songwriter Robert Paquette, suggested scenes, lines and moments out of those words. Being a singer-songwriter, Robert's process is to create lyrics and music at the same time, and found he could not go further in creating concrete lyrics for the piece. I took all of the family's text ideas and snippets, found the driving story within them, and included a couple of Robert's lines in the final version. The end result is something that is quite personal, and yet, still so universal. I would have never been able to create such a work without this incredible intimate collaboration. Thank you to the Paquette Rivard family!
​
Commissioned by friends, family, and members of Aella Choir in memory of Marie Paquette-Rivard: maman to Aella member, Josée Rivard, and much-loved choir mom to us all.