It is from the folk song melodies collected by the French composer Joseph Canteloube (1879-1957) that Paul chose to set these five chansons from Roussillon for voice and orchestra. He later added El cant dels ocells (The song of the birds) which was made famous by Casals and the six songs have often been performed together. Canteloube, of course, is famous for his own Chants d’Auvergne, orchestral settings of songs from his own native region of France. A French equivalent of Vaughan Williams, he made a scholarly collection of folk songs over a period of 60 years from every département of France which was published shortly before his death in 1957.

Paul first met Elizabeth Harwood at the Rasiguères Festival in 1984. She had a most distinctive and beautiful voice. In recognition of her lively personality and commitment to Rasiguères, John Whibley (who organised the Festival and was Director of the Manchester Camerata) suggested that Paul set these songs for her—and as a present to the Festival. She sang them once, in 1988 in Rasiguères with the Manchester Camerata conducted by Anthony Hose. It is a great joy that they are now recorded by Decca artist Pumeza Matshikiza.

The songs are a celebration of the area. Paul said: 'I have tried to reflect the moods and colours that I myself have experienced there: the opening, with its echoing fanfares which represent the divided Catalonia calling across the Pyrenees; the heat of the day; the magic of a moonlit night; the fragrances, the flowers, and finally, the song about the Nightingale which flies South to North, symbolising the divided land.'

Evidently after he had set this song he discovered that the words were a bowdlerised version. He was told by a villager that Franco forbade the singing of the original and they are not printed in Canteloube’s collection. Paul summarised the poems as follows:

I. Are vé lo mes de maig (May): Trumpets herald the spring, calling across the Pyrenees from both sides of Catalonia. The cuckoo sings. But my heart grieves. Kisses alone will loosen the chains of love.

II. De matinet me vaig llevar (The nightingale’s advice): A feature of Rasiguères is the song of the nightingale echoing amongst the rocks by the river. “Which young man shall I choose, Nightingale?” asks the young girl; “The one who will be true to you.” The nightingale, like the owl, is a wise bird.

III. Tot anit som caminat (A frog in the moonlight): Here’s a tall story. Anything can happen on a moonlit night; one may come across a frog playing the flute, or steal golden muscat grapes from the vineyard of Sagarra.

IV. El pare m’ha casada (The defiant bride): “My father has chosen a fool for me to marry!” The young bride is determined to look a mess for her wedding, but in the end is summoned sternly by the church bell.

V. Rossinyol, que vas en França (The nightingale): This girl has been married off to a shepherd and is angry with her father. She asks the nightingale what she should do. She wants the shepherd, but not the sheep!

El cant dels ocells (The song of the birds): This is a Christmas song which was made famous by Pablo Casals at the nearby Prades Festival.

from notes by John Whibley © 2023