Les Porches de Notre-Dame (Maneige, 1975)

What a beautiful suite this is! Maneige were no doubt one of the best band from Québec, and also one of the most open-minded ones, with their eclectic musical blend and their rich instrumentation. "Les Porches de Notre-Dame" ("Notre Dame Archways") are a 19 minutes long suite divided into six movements, full of acoustic instruments and mainly instrumental. The sacred-sounding "Ouverture" immediately inspires a spiritual tension and a quiet, visionary mood. The entire track displays this supernatural and nonetheless humble atmosphere, where traditional instruments bring back the Middle Ages and a wind-driven chamber music ensemble.

This suite opens "Les Porches", the second studio work by Maneige.

Grace and delicacy rule this composition, but you'll also find stingy, unquiet moments in it, especially when the piano comes in. The last and longest section also includes the only sung part of "Les Porches de Notre-Dame" and the listener is overwhelmed by Raoul Duguay's singular voice and by his trombone, not the most usual instrument in modern music. Finally, this is an unforgettable musical experience, if you believe me.

Douce-amère (Maneige, 1977)

This delicious instrumental track comes from the album "Ni vent... ni nouvelle", by one of the most important '70s Québec prog bands. The slight jazzy sound meets here a series of acoustic instruments and a classic influence. The first part of the track is delicate and fizzy, dominated by a xylophone, while in the second half the electric guitar and a stronger rythm section add some solid rock texture to the music.

"Ni vent.. ni nouvelle" was the third album by Maneige.

 

Maybe these two parts correspond to the adjectives in the song title ("Douce-amère" meaning "Bittersweet" or, litterally, "Sweet-Bitter"). The theme is well written and - most of all - well exploited by the band, with pleasant tempo and volume variations. A lively and enjoyable piece of prog indeed.