The Association “Les Amis de Jean Langlais” was created in la Fontenelle, Ile-et-Vilaine, birthplace of the composer Jean Langlais in December 2005 to promote the memory and music of Jean Langlais and to develop musical culture in the area, particularly among young people.

Since then, the Association has organised fourteen international festivals, normally in the last fortnight of July but also at other times of year. Our concerts take place in la Fontenelle and in the surrounding area, including Saint Leonard’s Church Fougères, the church of Sainte-Croix in Saint Servan St Malo, the church at la Bouëxière, the church of Notre-Dame at Pontorson, the Cathedral of Dol-de-Bretagne, the Abbatiale de Saint-Melaine in Rennes, the Basilique de Pontmain and the Abbaye aux Hommes in Caen.
Choirs from the UK (the Wingrave Singers, the men of the choir of Royal Holloway, Universtity of London, the girls of All Saints Church Northampton, the choir of St Mary’s Church Warwick and the Girls Choir of Guildford Cathedral, the Quiristers from Winchester College), from Spain (Camerata Coral de Santander), from Denmark (Audite and Pandora) and from the Netherlands (Consortium Musicum Divertimento) have participated over the years, as have the annual choral course choir, le Choeur de l’Académie, and the local French choir, the Chorale “Les Amis de Jean Langlais”.
International organists have also taken part : Marie-Louise Langlais, widow of the composer, Marie-Claire Alain, Sylvie Mallet, Malcolm Archer, David Bednall, Katherine Dienes-Williams, Rupert Gough, Colin Spinks, Richard Pinel, Frantisek Vanicek, Luca Massaglia, Veronique Le Guen, Samuel Carré, Florence Rousseau, Loic Georgeault, Paul Provost and Martina Ziegert-Wallerand.
This year’s festival will take place in La Fontenelle, Pontorson, Pontmain, La Bouëxière and Dol Cathedral from 11 to 21 July, 2019. It will feature our first-ever Italian choir, In Contra from Trieste directed by Roberto Brisotto, and the London choir, Ad Libitum, directed by Julian Collings and accompanied by Colin Spinks.
Brenda Dean
La Fontenelle