La petite Aurore, l'enfant martyre (AU1998-1073-008)
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“La petite Aurore, l'enfant martyre” (”Little Aurore, the martyr child“) is a song created in Quebec concerning the notorious homicide of Alberta Gagnon (1909-1920) of Fortierville, QC, who died of exhaustion, starvation, and blood poisoning from some 52 wounds inflicted by her father and stepmother, Marie-Anne Houde.. Following the sensational murder trial of her parents, Aurore Gagnon became an icon of Quebec sociological and popular culture, inspiring plays, songs, books, and films. One of the first publications was a song, “La dernière prière de l’enfant martyre“ (“The Final Prayer of the Martyr Child”), set to the melody of “Le Rosaire” with words by Henri Rollin, published in Montreal in 1921.
Alberta Gagnon’s song is set to the melody of “The Prisoner’s Song,” an American hit song from 1924 which quickly gained popularity with French-language audiences in Quebec and New England through its 1925 transliteration published under the title “La chanson du prisonnier” with lyrics by Montreal songwriter and translat0r Roméo Beaudry. Although no published printed versions of Alberta Gagnon’s song are known, it seems likely that “Aurore, L'enfant martyre” dates to the second half of the 1920s, when its associated melody was widely heard on the radio, stage, and recordings. An advertisement in the classified section of the Quebec City daily newspaper, Le Soleil, appeared regularly during the months of August, October, and November advertising that for the price of 25 cents, one could receive the book La Petite Aurore l’Enfant Martyre and for an additional 10 cents, the advertiser (L. Desrosiers, 5206 des Erables, Montreal) would also send the song of “La Petite Aurore” “sur l’air du Prisonnier.”
Although Alberta Gagné’s song has been collected in field recordings from singers in both Quebec and New Brunswick, it does not appear in Conrad Laforte’s catalog. Alberta Gagné had some difficulty recollecting the lyrics and her version is missing some of the lyrics. A complete set of lyrics appears in the manuscript collection of the Vermont Folklife Center’s Desrosiers/Joyal Family Collection (VFC2011-0009: Petite Aurore, Petite Martyre (MS2011-3178).
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AG: Listen to this one, La Petite Aurore, l'enfant martyre.
AG: Elle va être encore pire celle-la.
AG: La petite Aurore, martyre--C'est la même air que---.
It's a true story that happened in Canada.
MP: And how do you say it in English? How--
AG: Martyr. She was---her stepmother--
UV: She was abused.
MP: This is a true story? The song was written about?
AG: Yeah.
(BEGIN SINGING)
AURORE L’lNFANT MARTYRE
ll était quelque part en ce monde,
Une enfant qui aimait le bon Dieu,
Et malgré ses souffrances profondes,
Elle leva la tête vers les cieux.
Sa belle-mère, une marâtre vampire,
Lui faisait endurer des tourments,
Petite Aurore, petite martyre,
Elle lui donne du savon pour du pain.
Si tu refuses lui dit la vampire,
Je t'assurerai de temps en temps d'un instant
Petite Aurore, petite martyre
Elle n'avait plus de chère maman.
[Hesitation]
La chaumière ou se---
La chaumière ou se fut-voyons---semblait être---
[recording paused]
Elle parlait---
La grande dame---
On l'aimait des milieux à la ronde…
[Marthe Pellerin encourages Alberta Gagné to start afresh]
Après un nombre de souffrances,
Sa mère lui apparait un jour,
Elle lui dit que bientôt sa délivrance,
La conduirait au ciel pour toujours.
Le bon Dieu se sent qu'elle expire,
L'envoie chercher par un ange charmant,
Petite Aurore, petite martyre,
Elle avait retrouvé sa maman.
(END SINGING)
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