Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens
Life
Born: 3 January 1823
Died: 30 January 1881
Biography
Jaak-Nicolaas (Jacques-Nicolas) Lemmens was born in Zoerle-Parwijs, Waterloo, Belgium. He studied organ in Belgium at the Royal Brussels Conservatoire, then in Germany. In 1849 he was appointed organ teacher at the Royal Brussels Conservatoire. In 1857 he married the English soprano Helen Sherrington, who became a leading English concert and operatic singer. From their marriage on, they lived in England and at their castle Linter Ports Zemst. Among his students were Alexandre Guilmant and Charles-Marie Widor. He focused on the study of Catholic church music, especially on a method for accompanying Gregorian chant. Lemmens gained international fame as an organ virtuoso, particularly through his performances of Bach, and was considered the father of modern organ technique. In 1878 he became the first director of the School of Religious Music (École de musique religieuse). In addition to music for the church, he wrote many works for organ and a number of part-songs.
View the Wikipedia article on Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens.
List of choral works
Sacred works
Secular works
- Six Four-part Songs Poetry of William Duthie
- Drops of rain
- The fairy ring
- The light of life
- Oh, welcome him!
- Sunshine through the clouds
- The cornfield
Click here to search for this composer on CPDL
Publications
Œuvres inédites in 4 vols.:
- Musique d'orgue (voluntaries)
- Chants liturgiques (plainchant accompaniments)
- Messes et Motets (3 masses in F SA, B-flat TB, & G TTB; 4 solo motets; 4 men's choruses for le Salut)
- Varia (?)
External links
- Works by Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens in the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)
- Worklist & Lemmens homepage maintained by Yves Babut du Marès