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.