Here’s a classic Quebec session tune from the repertory of fiddler Jos Bouchard, who named it in honor of his sister (though chances are he is not the composer). In Quebec, each part of the tune is repeated before moving on to the next part, but if you are playing this tune for a contra, you’ll want to just play each part once through.  I just taught this tune for the Quebec Session Class #7 (Contra-Friendly Tunes). We’ll be playing it at this month’s 5th Annual Quebec House Party.

Joe or Jos (Joseph) Bouchard 9 (b Pointe-au-Pic, near La Malbaie, Quebec, 6 May 1905, d Île d’Orléans, Quebec, 12 Jun 1979). Jos Bouchard started on the violin at the age of 8, probably with some classical training, as well as coaching from Huron fiddler Élie Sioué; by 14 he was playing dance. Fiddling was a sideline for Jos, who worked for the CNR railroad for 32 years, but he participated in local festivals and was also part of the legendary radio band, Les Montagnards Laurentiens. Bouchard recorded 13 78 rpm records starting in the late 1930s, and followed these with a couple of LPs in later years. His playing style, characterized by a powerful bow arm, quick tempos, use of vibrato, and melodic variations, earned him a following which continues to this day. You can hear a lovely duet recording of brothers Gabriel and Jean-Louis Labbé playing “Reel Antoinette” on Youtube.

“Reel Antoinette” (dance speed, mp3)[wpdm_file id=398]

“Reel Antoinette” (sheet music, pdf)[wpdm_file id=392]