The French Noel

From the Renaissance to the Baroque, French noels joined sacred texts with profane music and dance. They relate tales of shepherds and shepherdesses along with stories of Mary and the Child. This performing edition contains sixteen noels that appeared in an anthology of popular tunes published in 1725, where they were arranged for two flutes by the instrument maker Jean-Jacques Rippert. Betty Bang Mather and Gail Gavin present them here in modern notation in a form that may also be sung. They provide the original lyrics - which had disappeared from song collections - and include all the verses for each piece as well as English translations of first verses. Part I discusses the meaning of the word Noel, the noel as sacred parody and rustic poetry, and its place in the church. It also explores the relationship between noels and dance, the musical notation and styles of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century noel settings, and the long-standing relationship between flutes, shepherds, angels, and song. The volume is enhanced by facsimiles from early collections of noels, including several pages from Rippert's publication. Mather and Gavin define the noel's place in history and encourage today's readers to play these charming pieces, sing them, and dance to their music.