Above: Michel-Richard Delalande
Image in the Public Domain
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MICHEL-RICHARD DELALANDE (DECEMBER 15, 1657-JUNE 18, 1726)
French Roman Catholic Composer
Also known as Michel-Richard de Lalande
Michel-Richard Delalande comes to this, A Great Cloud of Witnesses: An Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days, via my Western classicism and his sacred music.
Our saint, born on December 15, 1657, was a native of Paris. He, the fifteenth child in his family, was a son of Michel, a master tailor. The young man sang in the choir of the Church of St. Germain l’Auxerrois, Paris. Our saint also studied the organ and the harpsichord. He, organist at the Church of St. Jean-en-Grève, the Church of St. Germain l’Auxerrois, the Church of St. Louis, and Petit St. Antoine, Paris, went on to work in the court of Kings Louis XIV (reigned 1643-1715) and Louis XV (reigned 1715-1774) at the Palace of Versailles. Delalande taught music to two princesses. He also served as the director of the royal chapel from 1714 to 1726.
Delalande, of the Baroque school, composed both sacred and secular music. His secular music included:
Our saint’s sacred music included:
- Miserere Mei, Deus;
- Dies Irae;
- Venite, Exultemus Domino;
- De Profundis;
- Te Deum;
- Confitebor tibi Domine;
- Exaltabo te Domine;
- Super Flumina Babylonis.
Delalande, aged 68 years, died in Versailles, France, on June 18, 1726.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 11, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF HENRY KNOX SHERRILL, PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
THE FEAST OF BARBARA ANDREWS, FIRST FEMALE MINISTER IN THE AMERICAN LUTHERAN CHURCH, 1970
THE FEAST OF JOHN JAMES MOMENT, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF MATTEO RICCI, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF MATTHÊÔ LÊ VAN GAM, VIETNAMESE ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR, 1847
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Eternal God, light of the world and Creator of all that is good and lovely:
We bless your name for inspiring Michel-Richard Delalande
and all those who with music have filled us with desire and love for you;
through Jesus Christ our Savior, who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Chronicles 29:14b-19
Psalm 90:14-17
2 Corinthians 3:1-3
John 21:15-17, 24-25
–Adapted from Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), 728
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