Joseph est Bien Marie (414.01) (As in other European countries, the songs of popular secular culture provided a source for the celebratory carols of Christmastide in France. This practice dates back several centuries but there was a particular flowering of the form in the 16th Century and this vogue lasted throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The greater liturgical freedom of Midnight Mass allowed the organist to experiment with variations on these popular airs and some composers provided simply orchestrated versions. Joseph est bien Marié was adopted by Charpentier and C. B. Balastre among others. This adaption is based on their versions. Performance note: Maintain a light dance feel throughout, avoid any heavy, pesante playing. The expression marks are suggestions of stylistic manner - do not overexaggerate them. They can be altered to suit individual musical taste or ommited if felt to be too fussy. )
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