▁period ▁primarily ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁stage ▁works , ▁although ▁he ▁also ▁composed ▁sacred ▁music ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁sec ular ▁cant at as , ▁songs ▁and ▁instrument al ▁works . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁and ▁first ▁success es ▁ ▁Henri ▁Des m are ts ▁was ▁born ▁into ▁a ▁mod est ▁Paris ▁household ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 6 6 1 . ▁His ▁mother , ▁Made le ine ▁n ée ▁Fro tt ier , ▁came ▁from ▁a ▁b our ge ois ▁Paris ian ▁family . ▁His ▁father , ▁H ug ues ▁Des m are ts ▁was ▁a ▁hu iss ier ▁in ▁the ▁caval ry ▁at ▁the ▁Grand ▁Ch âte let . ▁Des m are ts ' ▁child hood ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁his ▁father ' s ▁death ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁eight ▁years ▁old , ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁subsequent ▁rem ar riage ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 0 , ▁and ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁two ▁sib lings . ▁In ▁ 1 6 7 4 , ▁he ▁entered ▁into ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁King ▁Louis ▁XIV ▁as ▁a ▁page ▁and ▁cho ir ▁singer ▁in ▁the ▁Chap elle ▁Roy ale ▁( Ch ap el ▁Royal ). ▁According ▁to ▁Dur on ▁and ▁Ferr aton , ▁he ▁may ▁have ▁also ▁previously ▁s ung ▁as ▁a ▁cho ir ▁boy ▁in ▁Saint - G erm ain ▁l ' A ux er ro is ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁parish ▁church ▁of ▁the ▁k ings ▁of ▁France . ▁While ▁in ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁the ▁king , ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁general ▁education ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁music ▁training