As a child, I took to playing music as soon as I could sit at the piano. Both my parents were singers and musicians. MY father passed away when I was very young, but his love for music and singing is something he passed on. IN kindergarten, I loved the music sessions where the nun led the music program at school and we would all gather together and she would teach us children’s songs. The nun’s name was Sister Bernadelle Mehmert. She was one in a billion. Then, the next year, in first grade, Sister Benadelle, recognized my natural music abilities and became my first music teacher. She taught me piano, cello, singing and violin from 1st grade up until I graduated in 8th grade and went on to high school at New Trier High School. We were great friends, but it was clear she was dedicated to teaching me all about music and life. Her lessons stay with me still, up until this day, and beyond, and I think about her often. I remember her stressing that “discipline leads to freedom”, especially when it came to learning instruments and singing. Under her guidance, I truly excelled at music and more. I was in 7ths grade, when I started writing my first songs and I still compose daily to this day. As I grew older and began a successful songwriting, performing and composing career, I would often wonder what Sister Bernadelle might have done if she hadn’t chosen to be a nun. She was devoted to Jesus and The Blessed Mother Mary and passed those devotions on to me, but still I wondered. Then I had a dream, where I felt her presence and saw her living on a house boat on a river in Europe. The salon on the boat was filled with musical instruments and art supplies. Then I awoke and wrote my impressions and images down and created this song, “Bernadelle”, on the piano. It is a love song about a photographer who has a dream, and he is inspired to follow the dream and takes a ship across the sea and winds up in Paris where he wanders around the city with his camera. Then he walks to the banks of the River Seine and there he sees a woman sunning herself on the back deck of her house boat….. and then? Well, the song will tell the tale. Enjoy!
“Bernadelle”
Music and Lyric by Chet Nichols (ASCAP)
Copyright 2020/2026 by Chester Nichols, Jr (ASCAP) & Magic Garage Music: Publisher (ASCAP)
URL: http://www.chetnichols.net
Email: chet@chetnichols.net
Email: MagicGarageMusic@protonmail.com
Email: ChetNichols@me.com
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1. He sailed a silver steamer across the sea
Then caught a train to Paris to photographing memories
Painted scenes on sidewalks melting in the rain
Led to ships along the shoreline drifting on the Seine
And she was there
The vision from a dream
Singing ‘neath her parasol
Aboard her ship of dreams
To her the river was an endless wishing well
That’s where he met Bernadelle
CHORUS:
Bernadelle was a muse
And her music was the magic that she used
She spent each moment painting songs
Mixing words and melodies as they ’d drift along
2. A world of instruments filled her salon
Tools for their inspiration, they would play from dusk till dawn
They spent that summer sailing thru the motherlands
Writing songs and painting stories acting like good friends
But, they were more
Than actors in a scene
Surrounded by the sights and sounds
Aboard her ship of dreams
That’s when her river became his wishing well
And he fell in love with Bernadelle
CHORUS
Bernadelle was his muse
And her music was the magic that she used
To weave a warm, enchanting spell
Till he let go and finally fell into her wishing well
Their love’s a story they still tell
Of blending words and melodies as they sailed upon their wishing well
Bernadelle
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Copyright © 2020/2026 ® by Chet Nichols (ASCAP) & Chet Nichols Creative Services (Magic Garage Music Division): Publisher (ASCAP)
All US and Global Rights are reserved. This song or any portion thereof (lyrics, music, samples, vocals) may not be reproduced in any form or media, distributed, transmitted, downloaded, shared or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the writer and the publisher.
For permission requests, write to the publisher at:
MagicGarageMusic@gmail.com
Or addressed to:
http://www.chetnichols.net.
More information at:
http://chetnichols.bandcamp.com
Email: MagicGarageMusic@protonmail.com
Email: ChetNichols@me.com
Email: Chet@chetnichols.net
NOTE ABOUT THE SONG
As a child, I took to playing music as soon as I could sit at the piano. Both my parents were singers and musicians. MY father passed away when I was very young, but his love for music and singing is something he passed on. IN kindergarten, I loved the music sessions where the nun led the music program at school and we would all gather together and she would teach us children’s songs. The nun’s name was Sister Bernadelle Mehmert. She was one in a billion.
Then, the next year, in first grade, Sister Benadelle, recognized my natural music abilities and became my first music teacher. She taught me piano, cello, singing and violin from 1st grade up until I graduated in 8th grade and went on to high school at New Trier High School.
We were great friends, but it was clear she was dedicated to teaching me all about music and life. Her lessons stay with me still, up until this day, and beyond, and I think about her often.
I remember her stressing that “discipline leads to freedom”, especially when it came to learning instruments and singing. Under her guidance, I truly excelled at music and more.
I was in 7ths grade, when I started writing my first songs and I still compose daily to this day.
As I grew older and began a successful songwriting, performing and composing career, I would often wonder what Sister Bernadelle might have done if she hadn’t chosen to be a nun.
She was devoted to Jesus and The Blessed Mother Mary and passed those devotions on to me, but still I wondered.
Then I had a dream, where I felt her presence and saw her living on a house boat on a river in Europe.
The salon on the boat was filled with musical instruments and art supplies. Then I awoke and wrote my impressions and images down and created this song, “Bernadelle”, on the piano. It is a love song about a photographer who has a dream, and he is inspired to follow the dream and takes a ship across the sea and winds up in Paris where he wanders around the city with his camera. Then he walks to the banks of the River Seine and there he sees a woman sunning herself on the back deck of her house boat….. and then?
Well, the song will tell the tale. Enjoy!
