In the 19th and 20th centuries, many French Canadian families moved across the border from Canada into Vermont to become a part of the industrial workforce in cities such as Rutland and Burlington. They brought with them the traditional culture and language of French Canada, and perhaps most notably, their rather compelling musical folkways. Many of these songs included piano accompaniment, along with percussive foot tapping and spoons. For many decades, Martha Pellerin worked with the Vermont Folklife Center to document these musical traditions, and after her death her collections became part of the University of Vermont's Special Collections department. Visitors will note that this online collection includes nine songbook manuscripts collected by Pellerin and a series of six interviews conducted by her in 1998. They can browse the collection by format, genre, topic, place, or creator. It's a marvelous find, and one that will delight music lovers everywhere.
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