chansonnier

American  

[shahn-suhn-yey, shahn-saw-nyey] / ˌʃɑn sənˈyeɪ, ʃɑ̃ sɔˈnyeɪ /

noun

PLURAL

chansonniers

1. a singer or writer of chansons, especially a cabaret performer who specializes in songs that are a combination of melody and rapid spoken patter.

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Etymology

Origin of chansonnier

From French, dating back to 1885–90; chanson, -ier ²

Example Sentences

Having been a reluctant pop star in the mid-1960s as lead singer of the Walker Brothers, a trio dubbed “the American Beatles”, he had embarked on a singular solo career as a balladeer whose style encompassed American show tunes and the more expressive songs of his hero, the Belgian chansonnier Jacques Brel.

From The Guardian

The ear-stinging decibels of foot-stomping ovation only fizzled out a full 10 minutes after Emmenez-Moi, by which time, the great chansonnier’s limo was probably halfway back to the hotel.

From The Guardian

The Orlando Consort is a quartet of men, while the chansonnier contains almost entirely pieces for three voices.

From Washington Post

On Monday night, the Orlando Consort sang music transcribed from the “Chansonnier de M. le marquis de Laborde,” a hand-size book of Renaissance songs compiled around 1470 that was on display outside Coolidge Auditorium.

From Washington Post

The group’s sound opened up more fully and naturally in these gorgeous four-part pieces, which were among the half-dozen in the concert that weren’t taken from the Laborde Chansonnier.

From Washington Post