Noël Coward wrote both music and lyrics for the original version of this song, performed in the original production.  It’s lovely and waltzy and there is no good reason not to use it as is.  But we decided to set our production in the 1950’s and the 20’s lyricism was out of step with what we were doing.  So I did this ridiculous setting, which was transformed into an over-the-top gaudy piano and strings version for the second act.

I don’t speak French and there is some butchery of the French language in this setting.  In my slight defense, I did consult with a French speaker I knew about pronunciation and an advisor to the production made some further tweaks/corrections that are represented here.  But we’re still a bit off.  The characters themselves are not native French speakers so some clumsiness is…authentic?….is that wrong?

I recorded the three actresses who perform on this track with a handheld digital recorder in a noisy, echoing rehearsal room.  In mid 2024 I started using RX11, an audio repair software that allowed me to make the recording somewhat more pristine.  And I redid the arrangement in Dec 2024 for good measure.  It’s even more ridiculous.