I guess I’m still in a Central European frame of mind…
A few weeks ago we had a Challenge about the song that goes “eins, zwei, g’suffa.”
In the process of doing my research for that Challenge, I ran across a hauntingly beautiful song on YouTube.
I found this YouTube video with the song “Ranz des Vaches” as sung by Bernard Romanens.
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| Bernard Romanens singing Ranz des Vaches. |
As I listened I couldn’t help my curiosity about what’s happening here. My brain started asking questions–maybe you can answer them!! (Doesn’t your mind work like this too?)
1. He’s singing this song at a festival. What festival was it?
2. When will that festival be held next?
3. Once upon a time, this song was forbidden from being sung? (What? Why? Where? When?)
4. What are the lyrics? What is the translation into English? (I can’t understand ANYTHING!)
5. Bernard Romanens is clearly wearing some kind of traditional costume that suggests a particular kind of job. What is Romanens job (as indicated by his costume)?
Next time we’ll move beyond Central European tunes, but I had to pose this Challenge because I couldn’t get this song out of my head for the past two weeks. Ever since I heard it, I’ve been dreaming of singing in a sunny field in Switzerland, alphorns in the distance, gazing happily across the snowy Alps with clouds of edelweiss in the meadow before me.
Search on!
