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Carmagnole in “Orphans of the Storm”

Am playing for Orphans of the Storm in Huntington tonight. Reviewing my story sheet reminded me that toward the end the townspeople dance the Carmagnole. My notes — cribbed from some other website years ago — on the dance read:

“The Carmagnole, an anonymous song and street dance popular during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution (1789-1799). The carmagnole consisted originally of 13 two-line stanzas, each of which ended with a refrain praising the Revolution. The dance was a form of farandole, the ancient chain dance of France. The Carmagnole was sung and danced at revolutionary gatherings, including festivals and executions.

I went online and found a midi file of the tune (solo melody, no chords or accomp), and found a YouTube video of a 1920 French 78rpm record. Below is the video and a link to the PDF I’ve made of the lead sheet (in case any other accompanist searched for this and wound up here).

Click here to download the PDF.

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