Musical program, featuring country/folk songs of John Perrault. Group includes guitar, violin, electric bass, harmonica, and vocals (in studio, with live audience).
Dated 1/25/82. Visits with artists and performers from around Maine and New England including Julien Olivier, storyteller, Gilbert Roy, artist, Buck McHenry, wood sculptor, Josee Vachone [sic], singer. FOR REFERENCE ONLY.
Film about the music of Lionel 'Toots' Bouthot, keyboard and guitar player, and Ben Guillemette, fiddler. Franco-American musicians from Maine, includes footage of dances and festivals. They talk about their cultural background, how they came to play music, and about their partnership, which breaks up during the shooting of the film. Includes French and English language singing, line dancing with senior citizens in a community center, square dancing in a gym, the Lowell, Mass., folk festival, La Kermesse Franco-Americaine in Biddeford, Me., and the Festival of American Folklife in Washington, D.C.
letter from Georges E. Prevost of the Cercle des Etudiants Franco-Américains, to Félix Gatineau and Odile Giard. Prevost hoped that Gatineau and Giard would be the patrons of their upcoming concert, and discusses the importance of what they do. La Survivance is mentioned.
Oral history with the Lussier family. Mr. Lussier’s family relocated from Winchendon to Easthampton, Mass. to find a French Catholic school when he was a child, and Mrs. Lussier’s family moved from Gardner for work. She discusses her time playing piano along with instrument ensembles for silent films. Their daughter, Lucille, talks about growing up going to a French school, and the subjects she studied there. Includes information of the beginnings of Notre Dame du Bon Conseil parish in Easthampton.
Piano music (single sheets and bound in books) owned by Marie Rose (Emond) Fournier, longtime Biddeford piano teacher, and her family. Materials in English and in French, from her days at conservatory and later as a teacher. Stamps from music shops that were located in Biddeford, Portland, Philadelphia and Canada.
The Painchaud's Band collection contains clippings, notes and drafts for an article written by Kennebunk, Maine author and historian Joyce Butler. The article, about Biddeford's celebrated Painchaud's Band, appeared in the September 1977 issue of Down East Magazine.
The papers of a popular vocalist in the U.S. during the 20th century. Included are correspondence from 1917 to 1984, newspaper clippings, scores, photographs, scrapbooks, phonograph records, megaphone, and other memorabilia.
Scrapbooks about the singer Rudy Vallée compiled by Lorene Livers, a student at St. John High School in Canton, Ohio. Contains newspaper and magazine articles, 1928-1932, about Vallée's life and career as well as copies of The Krusade, a weekly newsletter for Vallée fans published in 1931 in Wood Ridge, N.J.
1688 Irenée Bolduc and Simone Bolduc, interviewed by Marcella Sorg and Raymond Pelletier, January 29, 1981, Lewiston, Maine. The Bolducs discuss their lives as Franco-Americans; his family’s move to Auburn in 1919; playing cards; raising chickens for eggs; retirement and the importance of staying active; and Irenée sings “Somewhere My Love” in French and plays the harmonica. Text: 13 pp. transcript English sections only (handwritten). Recording: T 1809 1-1/4 hours, partially in French.
1677 Lewiston Senior Citizens Choir, March 19, 1981, Lewiston, Maine. 6 pp. Tape: 3/4 hr. w/ brief cat, of songs sung. A concert of mostly French songs given for the Lewiston Western Older Citizens Council by the Lewiston Senior Citizen Choir; list of Choir members. Text: brief catalog of songs sung. Recording: T 1798 CD 2516 3/4 hour.
This collection consists of photocopies of correspondence primarily between Mr. Theodore Paillard and Canada Department of Customs in Ottawa, Frederation, St. John, amd Woodstock, N.B from 1913 to 1922.Also included are family correspondence, personal materials, newspaper clippings and a musical score of the song "fete de Ste-marguerite". The documents are in French and English and are either typescript or handwritten.
This collection provides data on singers, musicians, and other artists in the Upper Saint John Valley during the 1991 – 1993 research. It will be of interest to researchers of French language songs, spoken French language usage, local history and local oral history. The Saint John Valley Folk Arts Survey has identified over 200 traditional artists in the Saint John Valley. It has developed a database of traditional music and dance ensembles and also developed a database of persons and groups involved in dissemination, promotion, and sales of traditional arts (located in administrative files). The research done throughout the Saint John Valley Folk Arts Survey documented field visits with traditional artists, produced slides, photos, field notes, informant statistics, hours of recorded performances and interviews, and pages of transcriptions and tape logs. Materials were collected in the field by Lisa Ornstein who was Director of the Acadian Archives / Archives acadiennes at the University of Maine at Fort Kent. Lisa had minimal assistance from Nick Hawes, Archives’ assistant, and from Don Cyr of Lille, Maine, who served as a research consultant.
This collection consists of photocopies of two handwritten songbooks of French-language songs collected by Eugénie (Poirier) Clavette. Some songs are duplicates. The songs represent a wide range of repertory, including French Traditional songs, French and French-Canadian nineteenth century and early twentieth century patriotic, religious, and sentimental songs.
This collection consists of four notebooks of handwritten song lyrics by Elise Violette, as well as a page of Violette family genealogy created by Guy Dubay in 1992. The song lyrics are mostly in French, with some English. None of the songbooks are dated, although one has "Elise Violette, 19 years old" written faintly in pencil on the front cover, dating it circa 1910.
This collection consists of materials collected by Gerry Morin concerning various people, businesses, and events in Aroostook County. Included are correspondence, financial records (including accounts, bills of sale, and telephone bills), land documents, images, and maps. The financial records are for many businesses, both in Aroostook County and elsewhere, many in retail and agriculture, including American Agricultural Chemical Co. The telephone bills are from three separate telephone companies: White Mountain Telephone Company, New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, and Aroostook Telephone and Telegraph Company. Also included are twenty-two issues from various newspapers, 1837-1841, containing articles on the Northeastern Boundary dispute. Included in the images are cabinet cards of Major William Dickey and Hannibal Hamlin. A large portion of the correspondence and the financial records concerns Horace G. Richards of Fort Fairfield, Maine, and his brother, George W. Richards of Houlton, Maine, as well as A.S. Richards of Van Buren, Maine. George W. Richards owned G.W. Richards and Co., a merchant of dry goods and other "small wares." The collection also contains sheet music for "Come to the Heart that is Thine," from an opera based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Evangeline. Note that the Archives hold other collections associated with Gerry Morin.
4 C-60 audio cassettes containing folklore, songs, and stories from Laura Plourde and Joyieme Ouellette of Madawaska, Maine, and from Mrs. Edgar Cyr, Josephine Lagasse, and Richard A Martin of St. David, Maine. Also, recipes, song texts and photographs. Submitted for a course at the University of Maine at Fort Kent in Fall 1974.
This collection consists of a photocopy of a book of songs compiled by Bernice Lucienne Martin Chassé. She began collecting songs in 1926 at the age of 10 and continued through the 1930s and 1940s. This songbook is undated, but has been estimated to be from the 1930s. All of the songs are in French
This collection consists of an audio recording of songs and harmonica music, as well as 5 sheets of "histoires et contes" from Cecile Marquis Picard of Madawaska, Maine. All materials submitted for a course at the University of Maine at Fort Kent in Spring 1975.
Audio taped interviews with Mr. and Mrs. Joe Gendreau of Madawaska, Maine consisting of oral histories and stories about medicine, recipes, myths, and burial practices. Further interviews with Mrs. Eva Corriveau and Mrs. Irma Dionne about past experiences regarding food, clothing and superstitions are included on the tapes. Mrs. Corriveau sings 2 songs, one lullaby and one song called "Black Joe". Also recorded are songs played on the piano by Mrs. Leslie Cyr of Madawaska.
This collection consists of 1 audio cassette of tape-recorded harmonica music of waltz medley performed before 1980 by Samuel Jalbert of Fort Kent, Maine. Duration, 14 minutes 23 seconds.
Photocopy edition of a handwritten collection of French-language song texts compiled circa 1929 by Alice Breton of Lewiston ME. Also included, one page of photocopied obituaries and obituary cards
Three hand written notebooks of manuscript song texts and poems compiles by Madawaska, Maine area resident Albina Cyr (b. 1 March 1920) and by her maternal great aunt Anna Clavette (Mrs. Ernest Fournier) of St-Basile, New Brunswick. The Ablina Cyr song collection was loaned to the Acadian Archives/Archives acadiennes for photocopying by Ms. Cyr following a field visit to her home on 21 October 1992.
This collection consists of newspaper articles of Albina and her father, printed song sheets, Albina’s handwritten song lyrics, one small volume of Army Song Book, Christmas song collection printed on 4.5" x 5.5" folded cards from A.G.C.C. dated 1948, photographs of Albina Cyr, and one autographed photo of entertainer Gene Autry from when he was at the Auditorium in Bangor, Maine for a show dated Monday, February 13 (the year is not indicated).
This collection consists of a variety of sheet music, most in French, collected by the Acadian Archives/Archives acadiennes. The collection primarily contains published music, although manuscripts are also included. This collection may be added to, as it contains sheet music not connected to other collections in the archive. Some of these materials may have originally been donated with other collections
This collection of audio recordings provides primary data on singers, musicians, and others in the Upper Saint John River Valley during the period 1949 through 1978 (most date from 1970 through 1974). It contains a wealth of local songs and musicians and provides a resource of samples of French as it is spoken in the Saint John Valley. Twenty-four of the cassettes are devoted primarily to singers and to songs, three primarily to instrumental music, and twelve to interviews. There are three cassettes of concerts and six tapes of meetings or lectures. Three tapes appear to be accoustic dubs of other tapes, LP recordings, or broadcasts. A number of the recordings contain interviews (mostly in French) which may contain oral histories or other information. Several of the recordings appear to have been of public events, such as meetings, concerts, and dances.
This finding aid provides information about the "A. J. Michaud Song Collection, Manuscripts," a collection of song text transcriptions collected from Upper Saint John Valley River residents, Amaranthe J. Michaud, during 1969 and 1970. A Long time researcher of St. John Valley history, Michaud was formerly president of the Madawaska Historical Society. This collection consists of 477 pages of French-language song texts collected in the Upper Saint John Valley during 1969 and 1970 by A. J. Michaud. The texts appear to have been transcribed either from Mr. Michaud’s field recordings or from handwritten "scribblers" borrowed from local residents. Many pages are duplicates (carbons). The songs represent a wide range of repertory, including pre-eighteenth century French Traditional songs, French and French-Canadian nineteenth century and early twentieth century patriotic, comic, and sentimental songs, as well as local compositions.
Emma Lajeunesse, known internationally as Mademoiselle (Miss) Albani and a photograph of St. Joseph's Church in Albany, NY. Emma Lajeunesse was born November 1, 1847 in Chambly, Quebec to musicians Joseph Lajeunesse and Mélina Mignault. Following Mélina's death in 1856, Joseph began work as music master at a convent in Montreal. The nuns there quickly became aware of Emma's musical talent. However, finding little support in Quebec, Joseph departed with his two daughters for upstate New York. Accounts differ on where they settled next. Some say Plattsburgh, others indicate Johnstown, and still others point to Saratoga Springs. What is certain is that by 1865, Emma and her family had made Albany their home where Emma joined the choir at St. Joseph's Church and obtained positions as first soprano, church organist, and choir director. It was parishioners there and Bishop McNierny who provided financial support for Emma to pursue her dream of studying music in Europe, and she departed in 1868. Shortly thereafter, she took on the stage name of Mademoiselle (or Miss) Albani, in part to have a more "European" (more sophisticated) name and in part to recognize her supporters from her adopted home. Eventually, she would go on to international fame, even singing at Windsor Castle at the invitation of Queen Victoria.
Photograph of a reproduction les gigueux, also known as a jig doll, limberjack, limbertoy, paddle puppet, or stick puppet. They are dolls with loose limbs that step dance or 'jig' on the end of a vibrating board or platform in imitation of a real step dancer. Franco-Americans use les giguex as a musical instrument.
Rudy Vallée, the American singer, bandleader, and actor, first of the great "crooners," and arguably the first mass media pop star, talks to Wallace about his career, his opinions about his fans, Hollywood, his friends, and his reputation for stinginess.
This DVD presents a wide variety of music, both vocal and instrumental, as played on a variety of instruments. It presents the French-Canadian folk music of the last part of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century as it was performed at that time. It is an attempt to capture those songs before the old folks who remember the songs and the way they were performed are gone from us.
Robert Pontbriant, of French-Canadian descent, talks with Kim Chase about how his parents came to Winooski, Vt. from Canada. He relates many other family stories including soirées and the singing and dancing that went along with those gatherings. In particular he talks about the ability of certain family members and friends to be able to take the pain away from burns and to stop bleeding (side 3) by using a "power" or "gift" of faith healing. Also discussed are: trapping, foods, his blindness due to an inherited disease, farming, and more family stories and memories.
Martha Pellerin, a dedicated advocate and teacher of Franco-American culture and organizer of Franco-American cultural events, talks with Kim Chase about Franco-American culture in Vermont. She talks about her French-Canadian background and why she feels it is important to keep traditional aspects unique to this culture, such as the traditional soirées and music, alive, and why it is also important to eliminate the generational gap in Franco-American culture. Martha also talks about the musical trio she formed, Jeter le Pont, bi-lingualism, Québec secession, performing for audiences and at soirées in Canadian clubs, and the Barre French Heritage Festival in the early 1990's, which she was instrumental in organizing. Good quality recording.
