The Chinese

polka

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on December 21st 2006 by Kenny.

This tune has been added to 13 tunebooks.

Also known as Chinese, The Happy Chineese, Polka Chinoise.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• Contra Music Of Quebec by Tidal Wave
• Far Green Country by John Sherman
• L'Anche À Deux Cordes by Frank Sears, Sebastien Deshaies Et Marc Benoît
• La Grande Ronde by Various Artists
• Masters Of French-Canadian Music, Vol. 2 by Alfred Montmarquette
• Moving Cloud by Moving Cloud
• The Starry Lane To Monaghan by Fintan Vallely
• The Twentieth Anniversary Collection by Various Artists
• Turas by Turas

X: 1
T: Chinese, The
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
d/B/A/F/ D D/D/ | B,/D/D/B,/ D D/D/ | B,/D/D/B,/ D A/G/ | F/D/A/F/ E>F |
A A/F/ D D/D/ | B,/D/D/B,/ D A/G/ | F/D/A/D/ B/D/A/D/ | E/D/E/F/ D2 |
A A/F/ D D/D/ | B,/D/D/B,/ D D/D/ | B,/D/D/B,/ D A/G/ | F/D/A/F/ E>F |
A A/F/ D D/D/ | B,/D/D/B,/ D A/G/ | F/D/A/D/ B/D/A/D/ | E/D/E/F/ D2 |
E E/E/ E/A/A/A/ | B A/B/ c A | E E/E/ E/d/d/d/ | c/B/c/B/ A2 |
E E/E/ E/A/A/A/ | B A/B/ c A | E E/E/ E/d/d/d/ | c/B/c/B/ A2 |

Chinese Polka

Hope this is OK, because it's a bit of an odd tune, I think from Cape Breton, or thereabouts. It's not played as a polka at all, more a march, i'd say, but it sounded right played back on the computer. I got it from the CD by the group "Turas", and it's also been recorded by "The Moving Cloud". There is a funny "turn" at the end of the 2nd part, going back to the repeat of the tune.

# Posted on December 21st 2006 by Kenny

Its Polka Chinoise

This is Polka Chinoise and its French Canadian in origin. It can be heard on one of Chris Wood and Andy Cutting's early recordings- Lisa, I think. There's some brilliant music on this recording.

# Posted on December 22nd 2006 by dubblestop

Yes,Lisa is a great album.Two Englishmen outdoing the French Canadians at their own game.

# Posted on December 22nd 2006 by dafydd

Usually played in F# minor

I've heard this tune many times played by many different people, including my husband. The sheet music appears in several transcription tunebooks of artists such as Don Messer, Alfred Montmarquette and Phillippe Bruneau; and it's on many Quebecois cds. I've always heard it (and seen it everywhere but here) with the little crooked pauses in the end of the "b" part of the tune before it winds up to a repeat of the "a" part. It's usually played AABBAA, and I think those little extra holds add a lot to the charm of the original.

# Posted on January 29th 2007 by vonnieestes

Recorded by Alfred Montmarquette in 1929.

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/m2/f7/13239.mp3

I am not sure if the origin is French-Canadian though, I heard it in sessions where all they play is English traditional!

# Posted on March 30th 2008 by québécois

Mr Montmarquette

I really like Philippe Bruneau's version of it that Dorothy Hogan included in her book and accompanying cd.

# Posted on March 31st 2008 by vonnieestes