Desmet, Alfons
Biografie
Annelies Focquaert (translation: Jo Sneppe)
Upon finishing primary school, he moved on for his higher education to the ‘Institut St. Berthuin’ in Malonne and subsequently to the ‘Ecole de musique religieuse’ in Mechelen, opened on 2 January 1879 by Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens. There he was the first pupil to enrol taking lessons from Lemmens and from Edgar Tinel after the former's death in 1881. When in 1882 he obtained his organ certificate maxima cum laude Desmet was barely 18 years old, being the school's first graduate. In 1887 Canon Closson appointed him as organist of the Cathedral in Namur, while concurrently he accepted the position of organist at the Jesuit church in the same city. He was a member of the editorial staff of Musica sacra and was well-known as a famous organ virtuoso. In 1902, upon a controversial test behind closed doors, he succeeded Alphonse Mailly as organ teacher at the Conservatoire in Brussels. Among his students he counted Paul de Maleingreau, Maurice Guillaume, Louis Joos and Jean Absil. At St Servatius' church in Schaarbeek he became assistant-organist in 1906, and in 1907 organist-Kapellmeister until 1932. In 1936 he served as vice-president of the section Liturgie en godsdienstige muziek (Liturgy and sacred music) at the Catholic Congress in Mechelen, and became honorary chairman of the alumni association of the Lemmens Institute.
Together with his brother Aloys and with Oscar Depuydt he harmonized the liturgical songs of the Organum comitans ad Graduale Romanum. At age 65 he retired as organ teacher, but for many years he still continued working as Kapellmeister in Namur Cathedral, as well as organist in the Jesuit church and Kapellmeister of the deanery St Servatius' church. The Roman Catholic Church awarded him the golden cross ‘Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice’, while the Government knighted him in the Order of the Crown. He mainly composed religious music (Masses, motets), the major part being published as supplements to Musica Sacra.
Bibliografie
Eigen werk
- Desmet, A.: De l’interprétation des œuvres d’orgue de J.-S. Bach, in: Musica Sacra, jrg. 37, nr. 2, juni 1930, p. 120-124; nr. 4, december 1930, p. 245-252; jrg. 38, nr. 2, juni 1931, p. 98-99 ; nr. 3, september 1931, p. 157-168. Deze artikelenreeks verscheen enkel in de Franstalige editie van Musica Sacra.
Anderen over deze componist
- Corbet, en Paap, W. (red.): Desmet, Alfons, in: Algemene Muziekencyclopedie, dl. 2, Antwerpen-Amsterdam, 1958, p. 283.
- De Beenhouwer, J. en Teirlinck, F.: August De Boeck (1865-1937), componist, Merchtem, 2011, p. 367.
- Hanssens, S.: Orgelmuziek in Vlaanderen tussen 1900 en 1940, in: Orgelkunst, jrg. 31, nr. 1, maart-april-mei 2008, p. 26, 31.
- Holvoet, F. en Levaux, T.: Desmet Alphonse (Alfons), in: Dictionnaire des compositeurs de Belgique du Moyen Âge à nos jours, Ohain-Lasne, 2006, p. 179.
- Maertens, J. Desmet, Alfons, in: Lexicon van de muziek in West-Vlaanderen, dl. 1, 2000, p. 79, 82.
- N.N.: In Memoriam Alfons Desmet, in: De Schalmei, jrg. 1, nr. 1, april 1946, p. 16.
- Robijns, J.: Desmet, Aloys, in: Algemene Muziek Encyclopedie, De Haan-Haarlem, dl. 2, 1980, p. 356.
- Roquet, F.: Desmet, Alfons, in: Lexicon Vlaamse componisten geboren na 1800, Roeselare, 2007, p. 254.
- Whiteley, J.: Joseph Jongen and His Organ Music, New York, 1997, p. 24.