Noël (12 Pièces nouvelles pour orgue, No. 7)

François-Clément Théodore Dubois (24 August 1837 – 11 June 1924) was born in Rosnay in Marne. He studied first under Louis Fanart (the choirmaster at Reims Cathedral) and later at the Paris Conservatoire under Ambroise Thomas. He won the Prix de Rome in 1861. In 1868, he became choirmaster at the Church of the Madeleine, and in 1871 took over from César Franck as choirmaster at the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde. In 1877, Dubois returned to the Church of the Madeleine, succeeding Camille Saint-Saëns as organist there. From 1871 he taught at the Paris Conservatoire, where his pupils included Pierre de Bréville, Guillaume Couture, Gabrielle Ferrari, Gustave Doret, Paul Dukas, Achille Fortier, Xavier Leroux, Albéric Magnard, Édouard Risler, Guy Ropartz, Spyridon Samaras, and Florent Schmitt.)

Although he wrote many religious works, Dubois had considerable hopes for a successful career on the operatic stage. His fascination with Near-Eastern subjects lead to the composition to his first staged work, La guzla de l'émir. His music also includes ballets, oratorios and three symphonies. His best known work is the oratorio Les sept paroles du Christ ("The Seven Last Words of Christ" [1867]); his Toccata in G (1889), for the organ, is a recital staple, by no means solely in France. The rest of his large output has almost entirely disappeared from view, but he has had a more lasting influence in teaching, with his theoretical works, still being sometimes used today.

"Noël" is the seventh work to be found in "12 Pièces nouvelles pour orgue," published by Leduc in 1893. The piece is dedicated: "à Monsieur William Crane Carl, Organiste à New York."

I've tried to keep it authentically rustic, and hope that I've succeeded in pleasing my listeners. :-)

The score is attached below, as well as several photos of Dubois, one of the dedicatee, William C. Carl, and a period photo of the Boulevard de la Madeleine, where the Church of the Madeleine is located.

Merry Christmas to All!