WELCOME

Our association was created in December, 2005 in La Fontenelle (Val-Couesnon, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany) the birthplace of Jean Langlais to promote his music and his memory and to help to develop music in the area. Since then we have organised 19 international festivals in La Fontenelle and the surrounding region and we are proud to be presenting our 20th festival this year.

Jean Langalis devant la maison
Jean Langlais in 1984 in front of his birthplace in La Fontenelle.

Saturday 26th April, 2025 : Opening concert of the 20th Festival

Concert Hedone

Saturday evening, 26th April, saw the grand opening of our 20th festival and the salle multi-activités of Tremblay was completely full to hear Ensemble Hédoné.

An audience of nearly 400 mainly from the Pays de Fougères, Dol and Vitré but also from the Baie du Mont Saint Michel and from Maine and Loire were present at this concert.

We are normally active with our festival in the month of July, but we really had enormous success with this exceptional out-of-season evening. The young musicians of the Ensemble Hédoné, five string players, five woodwind, a percussionist, the opera singer Noémie Bousquet and conductor Godeleine Catalan earned huge applause from a delighted audience for their programme “Dansons la Jig”.

So now we’re ready for our summer festival which promises many new discoveries and a wide variety of concerts : piano, chamber music, organ and choral music with an Italian choir, a British choir, Liminis B from Vitré and La Chorale Les Amis de Jean Langlais.

 

The programme of the 20th summer Festival 2025 is now available.

Festival 2025

 

MASTERCLASS : PIANO AND CHAMBER MUSIC

Saturday 5th July

Following the success of last year’s piano masterclass, we are offering a second one this year for piano and also for chamber music, which will take place on Saturday, 5th July between 10.00 and 18.00 in the church of La Fontenelle (Val-Couesnon) and which will be directed by the concert pianist  Agnès DUBOIS CHAUVET.  The masterclass will culminate in a concert at 20.30 featuring the participating students.

Master Class application form

Participants are invited to apply as soon as possible to have the chance to play on Jean Langlais’ Pleyel piano.  The cost is 40 euros per hour for an individual lesson/or per group (duo, trio, quartet, ensemble).

Deadline for applications : 20th June 2025

Entry is free for those who would like to come to listen to the masterclass.

Tel : 06 08 05 79 54 for further information. 

The church of La Fontenelle at 20.30 Saturday, 5th July is the venue for a  Concert of piano and chamber music with the participants from the  Masterclass, the pianist Agnès Dubois Chauvet and the violinist Olivier Chauvet.

We are delighted that LIMINIS B from Vitré will be coming back to sing the mass on Sunday, 6th July with les Amis de Jean Langlais, directed by Véronique MACÉ and Jean-Michel NOËL, accompanied by Ludovic BILLON.

On Thursday, 10th July La Chorale Les Amis de Jean Langlais directed by Jean-Michel NOËL will be joined by two extremely talented young musicians, Léa COSTARD (piano) and Marie THIEBAUT (trumpet) to perform works by Gounod, Arbeau and Jean Langlais.

We shall have great pleasure in welcoming the return visit of l’ENSEMBLE INCONTRÀ, the prize-winning Italian choir directed by Roberto BRISOTTO, who will be travelling from Trieste to give three concerts in La Fontenelle (16th July), Saint-Enogat, Dinard (17th July) and Pontmain (18th July).

We’ll have the great privilege of hearing Marie-Louise LANGLAIS, the composer’s widow, with Sylvie MALLET and Margaux and Felix de SALINS, Jean Langlais’ grand-children, in a concert illustrated with videos “Hommage à Jean Langlais “ with music for organ, piano, trombone and tuba the church at La Fontenelle, on Saturday, 19th July.

And the 20th festival will end with the return of the organists and British singers who were here at the start of the festival in 2005.  “CHORUS 25”, a specially created choir will be directed by  Malcolm ARCHER and accompanied by par David BEDNALL and Colin SPINKS in 3 concerts on 24th, 25th and 26th July in Rennes, Dol de Bretagne and La Fontenelle.

BIOGRAPHY OF JEAN LANGLAIS

Jean Langlais
1907 – 1991

Famille Langlais
Famille Langlais

Jean Langlais was born at La Fontenelle on 15th February, 1907 and went blind at the age of two. Despite this handicap, he became one of the most respected organists and composers of the 20th century. He studied piano, violin, composition and organ in Paris at the National Institute for the Young Blind and at the Conservatoire de Musique, where he obtained a First Prize in Marcel Dupre’s class of 1930 and a composition Prize in Paul Dukas’ class of 1934. He also studied improvisation with Charles Tournemire, receiving in 1931 the Prix des Amis de l’Orgue.

Professor for forty years at the National Institute for the Young Blind, he also taught at the Schola Cantorum in Paris, where between 1961 and 1976 he helped both French and foreign students. His reputation as a pedagogue, important composer and concert artist drew pupils and audiences of many nationalities, especially from the USA, where he gave 300 recitals and countless master classes.

At the console of Sainte Clotilde

In 1945 he became organist at the Church of Sainte-Clothilde in Paris, the successor of Cesar Franck and Charles Tournemire. He left that position at the age of 80, having been titular for 42 years.

A prolific composer, his catalogue of works comprises 254 opus numbers, including vocal and instrumental sacred music (among them the famous Missa Salve Regina and the Messe Solennelle and the Missa in Simplicitate, very often performed in concert), secular music and numerous organ pieces, some of which are already considered 20th century classics.

Jean Langlais died in Paris on 8th May, 1991 at the age of 84.

For further information, see also: www.jeanlanglais.com