La Belle Catherine reel

Great tune that kicks off the new CFF recording “Play On” !

This is a fine example of a crooked tune for which there are numerous examples in Quebec:
Part A is played three times (not twice as suggested)
Then comes part B which is played twice.
Back to part A, (three times)
Then part C
Now that’s one time around. You would normally do this whole thing at least once again 😉

A bit of history (or legend) on the tune
In the early 1970s some collectors met this man in the Saguenay region who used to play a lot in dances when he was younger, and whose repertoire was mostly handed down from members of his family, and that for generations. Louis Boudreault, “Pitou” as he was called, had not been playing for quite a while. The collectors sought to collect those treasures that were to be lost. Pitou Boudreault quickly became rather famous and was even invited to play on La Veillee des Veillees. Perhaps his most famous tune is La Belle Catherine, but other tunes of his repertoire are becoming more and more popular, among which is Reel à Cédulie. Do look it up if you have a chance.
Cheers

François is right, Mr. Boudreau plays this tune as described. The C part is repeated twice. Then Mr. Boudreau ends with with the B part. Here is the structure as Mr. Boudreau plays it on the recording I have: AAABBAAACCAAABBAACCAAABB.

Also, don’t forget the sharp before the G in the second bar.

Wonderfull!

Hmm interesting…I know two other tunes also called La Belle Catherine. They are quite different from this one! 🙂 I wonder where the “La Belle Catherine”s that I know came from…(was hoping to find that here)
And this tune says it is in The Great Bear Trio and Nightingale albums, but La Belle Catherine that is on those albums is different actually…

It seems to derived from the scotch tune The Braes of Mar! In Québec province (au Canada français) we have transformed many scottish sthraspey into energic reels for the pleasure of the dancers.

In Quebec, “Catherine” is a familiar name for an unmarried girl…
This version is quite similar to the one played by Celtic Fiddle Festival.

Setting with chords.