Advent Calendar – 20th December, 2021 – Chant de Noel
Merry Christmas!
Danielle and Dave’s Advent Calendar, 2021
20th December, 2021
Chant de Noël
Breton Carol – arranged specially for this Advent Calendar
The Chieftains made popular around the world this carol in the Breton language on two of their albums Celtic Wedding 1987 and the Bells of Dublin where they were joined by a Breton singer called Nolwen Monjarret,. The sleeve notes to Celtic Wedding state that Paddy Moloney chose this song together with Polig Monjarret (presumably related to the singer) from a volume compiled by Polig Monjarret called Tonioù Breizh-Izel (Traditional Tunes from Lower Brittany).
I love this carol in the Chieftains recording as it features the playing of one of my harpist inspirations: Derek Bell.
Ph trouz zou ar en doar
Ph kan a glean me
Na kaeret er boehie e za lein eun n
Eled, lavaret demb eit petra e kannet?
Pene ted ar z e zou arri er bed?
Arnet ee genemb kannet pobl ag en doar?
Ewan de laret dho eun n ted hemb par
Eur mabig beniget rou a Jerusalem
E zo gannet eit-ho r gr a vethlem
What noise on earth?
Who is singing for me and who am I hearing
How much I like these voices who sing in the skies
And what do they say in their song?
What is new that happened on earth?
We hear the people sing on earth
I come to tell you that in the sky there is something beyond compare
A small child blessed, king of Jerusalem
And who was born for them (the people) in the town of Bethlehem.
Recorded on Erat Grecian harp c1830s
https://genius.com/The-chieftains-a-breton-carol-lyrics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Wedding