Canoe Song: A Voyager’s Tale

Featuring Barry Cloyd as Etienne Renault &
Brian “Fox” Ellis as Pere Zenoble Membre

Alle, alle, le voyageur danse
Danse entre le ciel et l'enfer
Alle, alle, le voyageur danse
Le voyageur danse, le vie.

From the journals of Marquette and Joliet, LaSalle, DeTonti and Hennepin, we get a glimpse of life in the early days of Midwestern History. Through traditional paddling songs and true stories we can be immersed in the adventures of these hardy explorers and fur traders. This performance is the recreation of a cross country canoe trip taken in the late 1600s by Etienne Renault and Father Zenoble Membre. There are sing-a-long songs in French and original ballads that give voice to the struggles and triumphs of these intrepid explorers.

Canoe Song – The Story behind the Story

Before Lewis and Clark, Father Marquette and Joliet explored the rivers of America. Before America was a nation, LaSalle and DeTonti built a fur-trading empire in the Mississippi Valley. The text for this show is taken directly from the journals of these earliest explorers. Through these journals we get a glimpse of life in the early days of Midwestern history. Through traditional paddling songs and true tales we can be immersed in the adventures of these hardy explorers and French fur traders. This performance is the recreation of a cross country canoe trip taken in 1690 by Etienne Renault and Father Zenoble Membre, real characters and close friends with the afore-mentioned explorers. Our goal is to give you a chance to experience local living history through story and song!

Canoe Song: A Voyager’s Tale

ACT I Opens with Alouette (Sing Along!)
Etienne Renault and Father Zenoble Membre Invite you to barter for furs
They introduce themselves as they sing Le Voyageur Danse (Sing Along!)
They tell the story of their adventures on the river
Singing My Paddle’s Keen and Bright
Pere Membre tells of the Piasa and Etienne sings the praises of the Illinois

ACT II is Woven with the song of LaSalle, Creve Coeur
Etienne tells of LaSalle’s Great Ship, “The Griffin”
Pere Membre tells of the Fort Saint Joseph & The disappearance of LaSalle
Etienne & Pere Membre tell of Creve Coeur, The Attack of the Iroquois
& Nous Sommes Tous Les Sauvages
LaSalle’s tale ends with Le Voyageur Danse (Sing along!)