Bonne et heureuse année! Here is a charming fiddle tune I learned from Quebec City fiddler Viateur Garneau in the 1980s. I was a volunteer administrator at a local folk arts organization at that time and one of the activities we sponsored was a monthly jam at a rather shabby community center in a Quebec City blue-collar neighborhood known as the Basse-ville. I think Mr. Garneau lived in the neighborhood–he was an older gentleman at the time, very courtly and kind, and always delighted at the chance to play tunes.

The full title of this tune is actually “Le petit mouchoir que tu m’a donné, je l’ai mis dans ma poche” (The Little Hanky You Gave Me, I Put it in My Pocket”). The title has the distinction of possibly being longer than the tune itself! I would guess that the title might be a line to a verse sung to the first part of the tune…perhaps “Le petit mouchoir” started out as a song. In any case, I’ve spread it around wherever I could, so here you go!

Le petit mouchoir (dance speed, mp3)[wpdm_file id=435]
Le petit mouchoir (sheet music, pdf) [wpdm_file id=436]