Early Quebec city

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Early Quebec (city)
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Topics

• Setting the Scene
• The Church influence
• Music of the Aristocracy
• Music of the People

Quebec settlement 1628
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Setting the Scene

• Monopolies granted in 1608 to de Monts and others
  - affected colonization
• Champlain begins Quebec
• Interest mainly in fur trade through company
  monopolies - led to poor settlement compared to
  US colonies
• RC Church - missionaries provided contact with
  native pop. Improving fur trade.

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Church influence

• 1615 Ricolet brothers built a chapel in Quebec
  -missions to Montagnais and Huron Nations.
• Jesuits arrive in 1625 to assist.

Definition
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Church Influence (Jesuits)

• Administered to needs of converted
• Travelled out of Quebec to convert natives
• Centre was Ste. Marie with Huron Nation

Jean de Brébeuf
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Church Influence (Jesuits)

• Songs of the church used to aid conversion
• Natives were responsive to music due to the use
  in their own religious beliefs
• Priests wrote texts or translated already
  existing sacred texts into native languages using
  melodies of both a sacred and secular nature.

Go to Huron Carol Text, music and Sound
Compare to French original
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In Quebec

• 1635 - a college built for French and Indian boys
• Instruction included music theory, singing and
  possibly instrumental training
• Boys participated in church services
• 1645 - Martin Boutet, a teacher, played the
  violin there was also a German flute, which
  prove to be out of tune when they came to the
  Church. Jesuit Releations
• Reference also to Choir boys

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In Quebec (2)

• 1639 - Ursulines came and in 1642 built a convent
  and taught French and Indian girls
• Reference to a young Indian girl who played the
  viol.

She has made great progress amongst us in the
knowledge of the mysteries of the faith as in
good manners, and morals, in handicraft and
reading, as well as playing the viol.
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Health of Music in FC

• Strength of music tied to fortunes of the
  religious orders
• 1642 Montreal founded by Sulpician order
• Instability in French Canada led to the
  appointment of an Indendant, Jean Talon in 1665
• Talon improved population- doubled in 7 years due
  to increased immigration

Sulpician Convent Montreal
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Church Music

• Info from Jesuit Relations
• 1661 - report that an organ was played during a
  service
• Laval brought an organ from France in 1663
• Possibly played by Louis Jolliet (1645-1700) who
  discovered the source of the Mississippi. Born in
  Canada, he studied harpsichord in France

Definition
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Church Music (2)

• Charles-Amador Martin (1648-1711) credited with
  first Canadian composition c. 1674.
• Prose section of the office of the devotion La
  Sainte Famille
• Most church music was in monophonic chant
• Probably some polyphonic music used

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Musical Instruments in Quebec

• Violins, flutes, probably some brass and
  percussion
• Used in church services
• at Hopital-Général ten viols found in
  reconstruction project in nineteenth
  century-oldest dated 1672
• organ

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Music of the Aristocracy

• Difficult to report on - not in Relations no
  newspapers
• After 1664 more officers and noblemen
• Theatre began - plays of Moliere, Racine,
  Corneille
• Theatre built at end of 1600s

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Music of the Aristocracy (2)

• No concerts
• Balls or grands diners with music by
• itinerant musicians, sometimes servants
• Aristocracy themselves participate in music
  making using music brought from Europe

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Music of the People

• Immigrants in 1664-72 mainly peasants and brought
  folk music
• 95 of the 9,000 songs can be traced to this
  period
• Voyageurs had their own folklore
• New words put to traditional melodies

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Legacy

• Folk music has endured
• Secular art music did not take root
• Middle class did not gain prominence
• British conquest - nobility returned to France