of the French grand motet and remained so until the 18th century. Dumont used two violins and two violas [sic], which is noteworthy because it reflects North European practice, whereas Lully used one violin part and three violas. (This likely means clefs; the violin family was not yet standardized.) Note on pitch: The meantone temperament prevailed in France until the end of the 18th century, above all in religious music using the organ (Dumont's instrument). Note on instrumentation: The orchestra for grands motets contained théorbos and harpsichord (and organ), violins and viols. His five plainchant masses, known as the Messes Royales, survived up to the mid-20th century (before Vatican II), though they display little of the genius developed in his motet writing. Nevertheless one can still hear them sung at major feasts in a few Catholic places of worship (for example at St Eugène in Paris) and his motets also continue to find a place in the liturgy. In the 1681 Motets à ii iii & iv parties the following note appears, suggesting four singers as the normal size for a choir (as Joshua Rifkin argues in Bach's Chorus: A Preliminary Report): "Quand on voudra deux pourrant chanter dans une mesme Partie, & la petit lettre italique signifie qu'une des deux doit chanter seul, & la grosse lettre ronde pour chanter Tous ensemble comme si c'estoir à deux choeurs." Bibliography Laurence Decobert: Henry Dumont (1610–1684), sous-maître de la chapelle de Louis XIV : contribution à l'histoire de la musique religieuse au Grand Siècle (Lille, 1990) Recordings Motets pour la chapelle du roi, Magnificat (La Chapelle royale, Philippe Herreweghe) Harmonia Mundi 1981 Motets à voix seule (Ricercar Consort, Henri Ledroit haute-contre) Ricercar 1984 Motets et dialogue (Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset) Les litanies de la vierge (Ensemble Dumont, Peter Bennet) Grands Motets, Magnificat, Ricercar Consort, Choeur de Chambres de Namur, dir Philippe Pierlot. Ricercar 2002 A fairly extensive discography References External links Biography in English Biography with list of works in French Scores to the keyboard Allemandes 1610 births 1684 deaths People from Borgloon French Baroque composers Belgian classical composers Belgian male classical composers French male classical composers Belgian classical organists French classical organists French male organists 17th-century classical composers 17th-century male musicians Male classical organists