Montagne Que Tu Es Haute
Traditional French Folk Song
Arranged by Ollie Lambert
4-parts - SSAA
 
Montagne que tu es Haute dates back to at least 1599 when it was sung by the silk workers of the Hautes-Alpes region of South-Eastern France. The tranquility and isolation of the hamlets in this area provided the perfect environment for the preservation of folk traditions well into the 19th century. Our version was passed on by the late Madame Tallaron of Molines, whose voice one can hear on the piece’s earliest recording from 1978. In the mid 20th century she noted the sudden decline of local songs due to the passing of community elders. Thankfully, in 1895 the ethnomusicologist Julien Tourbault spent five years in the most remote hamlets of the French Alps where he met as many residents as possible. He successfully transcribed hundreds of songs from their oral tradition during this time. Although many alpine folk traditions have now been lost, we are fortunate that these detailed records remain.