Noël Huron (Deux Noëls, No. 1)

Denis Bédard (born 1950) is a Canadian composer of organ works (solo, duet, and with other instruments) and choral pieces. He founded Éditions Cheldar, which publishes his works. His compositions are performed internationally.

Bédard was born in Quebec City, Quebec. He was trained at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Québec where he obtained a deuxième prix harmony in 1966, a premier prix counterpoint in 1970, a premier prix fugue in 1971, premier prix organ in 1972, and a premier prix harpsichord and premier prix chamber music in 1973. Among his teachers at the conservatoire were Tania Krieger (piano), Claude Lavoie (organ), André Mérineau (harmony), Magdeleine Martin (counterpoint and fugue), and Donald Thomson (harpsichord). A series of grants from the Canada Council enabled him to pursue studies in Paris with André Isoir (organ) and Laurence Boulay (harpsichord and figured bass realization) and in Montreal with Bernard Lagacé (organ and harpsichord) between 1973-1975. After winning the Prix d'Europe in 1975 for his harpsichord performance, he studied piano, harpsichord, and organ with Gustav Leonhardt in the Netherlands from 1975-1977.

Beginning in 1969, Bédard served as organist at Church of Notre-Dame de la Nativité in Beauport, Quebec. In 1978 he became the organist at the Church of Saint-Coeur-de-Marie in Quebec City. He played at several other churches in Quebec, and composed music for organ, piano and harpsichord and other instruments.

This lovely piece is another one very much in the spirit of older French Noëls.

It is based on the the famous French folk song, "Une Jeune Pucelle" ("A Young Maid"). The work is the first of "Deux Noëls", dating from 1997.

The text for this carol begins "'Twas in the moon of wintertime". The translation most often used is the one by Jesse Edgar Middleton (1872-1960). The entire text is given in the First Comment.

Attached are several photos of Denis Bédard, and one of Jesse Edgar Middleton.