L’hymne au printemps

Felix Leclerc (1914-1988) was a singer/songwriter, poet, novelist. playwright and actor. He was well known in French Canadian Quebec, and founded the popular 'chansonnier' movement in the early 50s. His varied career eventually bought him success as a Singer songwriter when he left Quebec for a 14-month run in Paris, performing solo, accompanying himself on the guitar with only his footstool and whistling skills. This trip changed his life, his style was new and his poetry was given a voice and over the years he received many prestigious awards. He created a new musical genre for French Canada and he also became popular with Europe's French speaking communities. Hymn to Spring is a single song with both the words and music by Leclerc. He wrote around 62 songs with recurring themes such as love of nature, homeland, and his fellow man. This song celebrates the continuing cycle of life; the joyful expectation of the new and the revival of the old at the long awaited end of the winter arrives. This song is written in a folk music genre, with a guitar accompaniment that is simple enough to be used as self-accompaniment. It is pretty and expressive, and quite short with only one verse, and no repeats. The key is D major and the vocal range is for medium low voice. The standard for the Singer would be around grade three, with nothing vocally challenging. The guitar part has a balance of musical ideas, using chords and arpeggios, and short motifs. There is no translation, but as this is modern French it would not be too difficult to get translated. I am not sure how much of this arrangement is based on the original, but obviously there is a good connection there already. On the stiff card cover, there is a black and white photo of Leclerc in profile looking up to the sky, peering expectantly into the distance. As there are other songs, I wonder if Claude Gagnon intends to publish some more, and whether the accompaniments are of his own invention or a realisation of Leclerc's own. As there are no notes in the Preface to make this clear, I can only wait with interest, to find out.

Sandra Hambleton Smith (Classical Guitar Magazine)