Figure 1.--This photograph of a Douai chorister about 1980 shows the hooded white albs and wooden crosses that the boys wear for their performances. The chorister This chorister is Olivier Caron. He was a soloist and the Choir Director reports that he was a real pillar in the group.

Les Petits Chanteurs de Douai was founded in 1981. Douai of course refers to the city in France where the choir is located. Patrice Cocqueel and Christian Vasseur founded the choir. The choir was sponsored by the Douai municipality. They received a subsidy once a year), although the major part of the budget was self-financed. Traditionally our concerts were divided in two parts. The first one focused on religious works from the renaissance and baroque periods, (motets by Palestrina, Victoria, Schütz, Bach). The second part of the concerts (where boys wore their green costumes) was dedicated to international folk songs brought back from the different countries they visited and to Janequin's renaissance imitative songs. There were also seasonal programs. The boys wear white hooded alns for religious performances. They wear green sweaters and short pants with white kneesocks for secular performances. The choir ceased functioning in 1990.

History and Founding

Patrice Cocqueel and Christian Vasseur founded Les Petits Chanteurs de Douai in 1981. Vasseur taught music at the St Jean School in Douai and founded the choir. He helped in this task by Docteur Patrice Cocqueel, from Lille (he was in charge of general management, I was in charge of music). At the very beginning, the choir was exclusively composed of pupils from Vasseur's classes but they rapidly began recruiting from other local schools. Vasseur in 1987, was nominated in Avesnes sur Helpe to develop la Maitrise du Nord - Pas de Calais. He left Douai, one year later. The choir stopped its activities in 1990.

Sponsor

The choir was sponsored by the Douai municipality. They received a subsidy once a year), although the major part of the budget was self-financed (records and brochures sold abroad, children's families contributing to travel fees). As the founder was a music teacher Catholic college in Douai, rehearsals naturally took place in the school.

Music

Choir Director Christian Vasseur reports that "Traditionally our concerts were divided in two parts. The first one focused on religious works from the renaissance and baroque periods, (motets by Palestrina, Victoria, Schütz, Bach). I remember we had a four voice fugue by Caldara (Regina Coeli) . We had developped a strong and privilegied relationship - not to say partneship - with Poznan Boys' Choir (Kurczewski) and we regularly performed works from their repertoire, especially from the Polish Renaissance (Szamotul, Gomulka...), and a brilliant baroque Magnificat in Venetian style, for 12 voices a capella divided in three choirs by Mikolaj Zielinski which ended the first part of each concert. (This first part was always in white albs as for religious ceremonies.) The second part of our concerts (where boys wore their green costumes) was dedicated to international folk songs brought back from the different countries we had visited and to Janequin's renaissance imitative songs, such as la Guerre, Le Chant des oyseaulx, les Cris de Paris. It also included modern poliphony by Ravel, Debussy, Poulenc and a 'pot pourri' of French traditional songs (Chansons de France) which was very appreciated abroad. Moreover, our yearly programme was divided in three parts. Christmas period was dedicated to a programme of Chrismas carols. (We usually spent Christmas holidays in Germany.) Easter Period was always an opportunity to perform a work with strings or instruments. (Schutz' Die Sieben Worte, Purcell's funeral music for Queen Mary.) The third part of this programme focused on July concerts abroad, where our concerts were divided in two parts as mentioned above."

Membership

Many of the boys go to the Catholic College of Douai. Other boys go to other city schoolds. The choir consists of 60 boys and young adults.

Training and Practice

The boys practice 4-6 hours a week. Rehearsals were organized as follows (one week program) : 1) soprani (one voice rehearsal), alti (idem) - 1 h 30 in the evening after classes, 2) soprani + alti (2 voice rehearsal) - 1 h 30 idem after classes, 3) tenors + basses - 1 h 30 (sunday morning), general rehearsal - 1 h 30 (saturday evening).

Performances

The choir gives regular concerts five times yearly in tours abroad and sings 70 concerts each year during the school holidays.

Trips

The choirs perdormances throught France and in neigboring countries as well as countries located at some distance provide an important educational experience fot the choristers broadening their horizons. The choir makes an effort to provide cultural exchanges diring these trips.

Experiences

Many choristers were able in part because of their training and experience with the choir gone on to pursue musical careers. Pianist Laurent Dramez writes, "Il commença le chant vers l'âge de cinq ans dans la chorale de son école primaire, puis fît partie de l'Académie de Chant Choral de Douai, connue sous le nom des "Petits Chanteurs de Douai", choeur d'enfants et de jeunes adultes avec lequel il pût découvrir le plaisir de l'interprétation de grandes oeuvres (Carmina Burana, La messe du Couronnement de Mozart, Dido and Aeneas de H. Purcell...) et des tournées à l'étranger, avant d'intégrer la Clef des Chants en 1995." This would tranlate as "He began the song towards the five years age in the choral society of his primary school, then belonged to the Academy of Choir singing of Douai, known under the name of "Small Singers of Douai", chorus of children and young adults with whom he could discover the pleasure of the interpretation of philosopher's stones (Carmina Burana, the mass of the Crowning of Mozart, Dido and Aeneas of H. Purcell...) and of the rounds abroad, before integrating the Key of the Songs in 1995."

Figure 2.--The Douai choir for secular perfomances wear green sweaters and matching short pants with white kneesocks and black shoes.

Choir Costumes

The choir has two costumes. They wear white albs with wooden crosses for religious performances. They have a different costume for secular performances, quite a destinctive uniform. HBC has not noted any Frech choir wearing a costume quite like this. Green is a color not commonly worn by French choirs which more commonly use blue. The costume consists of white open necked shirts worn without ties, green "V"-neck sweaters with a crest, dark green short pants, white knee socks, and black shoes. The sweaters have destinctive whitebands at the neck, wrist cuffs and waist.

Choir Crest

The green uniform apparently refers to the Germanian roots of Douai. The blue uniform worn by many other French choirs is taken from the main color of France. The Petits Chanteurs de Douai has a lot of exchanges with German choirs and sing about 60 concerts a year in Germany. This is the reason for this uncommon color which honors a neighbor country. In the choir crest there are three parts. On the top, the French flag with the three colors of France. Then the field is crossed in four green parts by the white cross. The white cross refers to the Federation of Pueri Cantores the federation to which many French chirs belong. The Federation was founded by Mgr. MAILLET former President and Musical Director of Les Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois. The four green parts refers to the color green choosen by the choir referring to its German roots. Above these fields is a krone, a ducal krone with the stylistic "D", these parts belonging to the arms of Douai. The crest is an important part of the uniform The arms are worn on the chest in concert and on the civil clothes as minimum part of the uniform when travelling during holidays for concerts. It's an obligation for the boys and their proud to be member of this famous choir.

Important People

The choirs performances throughout France and other counties have given the boys the chance to meet all kinds of important prople. The public as well as world leaders, including presidents and popes, which have been chamed by their beautiful voices and wonderful performances. Many want to meet the choristers after their performances. Over the life of the choir, the choristers have had he opportunity of meeting quite a number of imortant figures.

Just a Choirboy

A French reader has provided us this lovely piece. This text was written by Patrice Cocqueel for Lille choir's brochure in 1977. The first English version was translated the same year. "They say he had an ear for music and a sweet voice, he had heard of the Little Singers; so, on a fine evening he had come to choir pracyice to see what it was like. How he listened that night, trying to understand that page covered with notes, figures and symbols that the choirmaster called a score. He walked out, his head in a whirl of music, and all aling the way home, he kept humming the "Ave Verum Corpus" which had been rehersed that evening. At last, as the group was about to start on a tour , was it Germany? or Italy? he was summoned by the choirmaster and learned there and then that he would join the others and sing with them. With his eyes glued to those of the master, attentive to all the lights and shades expressed by his eyes and fingers, he sang the joy of being a child, of loving what is beutiful: God, Nature, Man, Peace ... Months gone by ... And tonight, little singer, you are tired, your eyelids are heavy, but the last song will be as beautiful as those beore, because for all those who listened to you , that concert is unique , and when you take to the road again tomorrow, you listeners of one evening will treasure in their hearts the memory of a concert in which your youth sang he praise of beauty, hope and peace."

Summary

Les Petits Chanteurs de Douai have provided HBC a summary of their choir explaining its foundation, organization, and operation. We will use the information in our various subject categories, but as it is such a nice summary we will post it here with an English translation that one of our readers has gratiously provided. This will provide a quick overview of the choir for readers.

Sources

Christian Vasseur, Choir Director, e-Mail message, January 28, 2003.