La Veillée de NOËL De la France à l'Arcadie Suzie LeBlanc ACD2 2523 • Suzie LeBlanc returns to her roots with La Veillée de Noël, a recording of traditional songs from the collection Rondes et chansons populaires illustrées. Suzie LeBlanc has hand-picked Acadian folksongs that celebrate the winter season, from Christmas to Candlemas, known as La Chandeleur in French, — one of the biggest holidays of the year in Acadia; people would dress up, make merry, and bring food to the poor. Originating from various regions in France, most of these songs were sung by the Acadians of the Memramcook valley in New Brunswick. • Though Suzie LeBlanc and her collaborators have taken a folk or Baroque approach to most of the songs in La Veillée de Noël, some of them receive a more modern treatment influenced by jazz or swing. LeBlanc is accompanied by veteran musicians with whom she has worked for many years: violinist David Greenberg, who played on both her previous ATMA albums of Acadian music, Tout Passe and La Mer Jolie; percussionist Nick Halley; and harpsichordist Alexander Weimann, with whom she has collaborated on many early music projects. Suzie LeBlanc, voice and mélodica Steve Normandin, voice and accordion David Greenberg, violin Alexander Weimann, harpsichord and piano Jac Gautreau, guitar, piano, harmonium, dulcimer, accordion Nick Halley, percussion Danny Parker, bass   1. La Veillée     2:55   2. Noël Lorrain | Noël Populaire     3:33   3. O Dieu l'étrange chose     3:31   4. Noël de Cluny     2:39   5. Noël Dijonnais     3:08   6. Les Trois Mages     4:05   7. Noël Auxois     3:43   8. Plus on est de fous, plus on rit     4:31   9. Up and down the shouthern shore     2:03 10. Noël de Paris     2:21 11. Cantique de Noël     2:04 12. Joseph cherchant un logis     4:12 13. Les Cloches     3:10 14. Sir Symon the King | La Chandeleur     6:59 15. Escaouette     1:35 16. Plus on est de fous, plus on rit     1:52 ATMA Classique is distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading PO Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone +61 (0)3 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile +61 (0)3 9444 6879