Réal Boucher's Song Strata

When Réal Boucher's ancestors departed Normandy for the New World in the seventeenth century they brought a wealth of French song that lives to this day. Throughout the centuries they maintained their French origins, keeping their heritage alive as they explored, traded furs, and settled the lands that became Canada.

By the time Réal was born in 1929, his family was among the oldest in Canada. He grew up learning the old and sometimes new, songs from his granduncles and the larger community. In Song Strata, Real's repertoire shows how music changes in response to environment, both physical and political.

Over four hundred years one can see the layering, the strata, of music content in this one repertoire as well as the languages of other cultures such as Indigenous and English so readily absorbed by this French group, many of whom became Métis.

This collection of written music and narrative shows the ability of song carriers to preserve human history through the centuries. As Réal's Uncle Joe said at a Boucher family's reunion, "We will sing and dance like we always did". And now you, too, can enjoy and even sing the music that helped build a nation, a community and a family.