L'Aventure en Nouvelle-France

• Musique populaire des explorateurs et paysans
• Musique baroque française
• Évocations amérindiennes Recherches et arrangements : François Leclerc

«This lavishly presented book houses a collection of arrangements for guitar of music that was probably played and sung in New France and is divided into three main sections, the first being Popular Music of the Explorers and Settlers which contains a dozen very amiable melodies harmonised in as authentic a way as can be imagined by Leclerc. The rustic bare fifths style that emerges from this opening section is great fun and in particular I enjoyed the Three Airs from Brittany which I could easily see form part of a suite which would go down very well in concerts. The whole twelve are rather short but very lively and not too difficult to play.

The next section covers music from the French Baroque Period with names such as Lully, Marais and one Andre Campra, a man whose music I had never personally come across before, firmly leading the field with his wonderful pairing, a Minuet and March of the Masks. Again there were twelve pieces in this section to choose from, and all of them worthwhile

The final section Aboriginal Reminiscences has three pieces, all created from traditional aboriginal melodies and then elaborated upon in a free manner. Huron Air is quite short but with some tricky time changes in its brief half a page of music. Variations on an Iroquois Song speaks for itself, whilst the final Huron Carol is in the form of an «Air with Variations« and is by far the most substantial of the three.

This is a lovely set from start to finish. Every one of the pieces is worth playing and none are too difficult. Nicely done.

Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar Magazine)