Guillaume Poitevin

Guillaume Poitevin (2 October 1646 – 26 January 1706) was a French Roman Catholic priest, church vocalist, serpent player, conductor, music educator, and composer. He was trained as a singer in his youth at the Church of St. Trophime, Arles in his native city where he worked as a boy soprano. His gifts as serpent player earned him a position at the Aix Cathedral in 1663. He remained at the Aix Cathedral until his death nearly forty years later. There he became an ordained priest in 1672, and served in a variety of roles both musical and non-musical. He is best remembered for being an outstanding music teacher and director of the cathedral's choir through his role as maître de chapelle; a post he held intermittently from 1667 until his sudden death in 1706 at the age of 59.

Poitevin was also a wind instrument player who was gifted at playing the serpent, an early instrument in the brass family. His skills on this instrument earned his a position at the Aix Cathedral where he began working on November 17, 1663. He devoted himself to religious life, receiving the tonsure on March 8, 1665. He was ordained as a priest on April 2, 1672 and was made a prebendary at the Aix Cathedral on May 14, 1677. ] II : "Speciosa facta es" et IV : "Dominus tecum": "Les Maîtres Baroques de Provence / Vol. II" - 1999 - Parnassie éditions