{"id":6943,"date":"2025-03-24T08:12:35","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T07:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maitrisecathedraletoulouse.org\/history-of-the-maitrise\/"},"modified":"2025-04-23T14:25:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T12:25:26","slug":"history-of-the-maitrise","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/maitrisecathedraletoulouse.org\/en\/history-of-the-maitrise\/","title":{"rendered":"History of the Ma\u00eetrise"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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1936 - 2025: 90 years of the Ma\u00eetrise <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Renaissance of the Ma\u00eetrise<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Today’s Ma\u00eetrise de la Cath\u00e9drale Saint-\u00c9tienne de Toulouse was given a new lease of life in 1936 thanks to the sustained efforts of Abb\u00e9 Georges Rey.<\/p>

After centuries of influence in Toulouse, accompanied by numerous masters and composers such as Andr\u00e9 Campra, Jean Gilles, Charles Levens, Bernard Aymable Dupuy, Aloys and Aym\u00e9 Kunc, the Ma\u00eetrise de la Cath\u00e9drale Saint-\u00c9tienne de Toulouse was refounded in 1936 by Abb\u00e9 Georges Rey, with some fifteen children. Under his impetus, the Ma\u00eetrise quickly established its reputation in the region, then in France and abroad. <\/p>

At its inception, the Ma\u00eetrise performed every Sunday at 10 a.m. mass, followed by vespers at 3 p.m. and compline at 5:30 p.m., interspersed with games with children from the Cour Saint-Anne oratory and short appearances at the nearby cinema. During the week, the young people met for a daily one-hour rehearsal after their evening work. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Developments during the 2nd World War<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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During the 2nd World War, an event marked the Toulouse choir school for a long time and was the start of a great friendship between Abb\u00e9 Rey and Mgr Maillet: in 1940, the choir school welcomed the Petits Chanteurs \u00e0 la Croix de Bois for a few months at the Jesuit Fathers’ ch\u00e2teau in Balma.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Long discussions between the two choirs led to the idea of a French federation of petits chanteurs, which was quickly created in 1945. In 1944, the Ma\u00eetrise had to move temporarily to the Ch\u00e2teau de Fargia near M\u00e9renvielle. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The post-war years<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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After the war, the Ma\u00eetrise grew rapidly, and by the 50s and 60s had grown to over 120 boys. It was also at this time that the first major tours lasting several weeks began in France, then abroad, starting with Belgium. La Ma\u00eetrise has thus toured Belgium (most recently in 2014), Switzerland (most recently in 2008), Italy (most recently in 2022), the Netherlands, Spain (most recently in 2019), Germany (most recently in 2011 and 2016) and Austria (most recently in 2016), Jordan and Israel (1965), England, the West Indies (1984), Canada (1985 & 1992), the United States (1985), Poland and Yugoslavia (1988), Portugal (most recently in 2015), Lebanon (1998), the Czech Republic (2000) and Ukraine (2001). <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In 1949, a former Petit Chanteur from Montserrat, Guix Busquet, first prize winner from the Barcelona Conservatory, came to help Abb\u00e9 Georges Rey with the children’s musical training. Rey, who remained in Toulouse until the end of the 60s, also created and directed the Petits Chanteurs du Languedoc, a man\u00e9canterie which existed in Toulouse until the early 90s. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The mastery of our era<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 1970, following his hospitalization, Abb\u00e9 Georges Rey handed over his position as choirmaster of the Ma\u00eetrise to Denis Dupays (1976-1979). Since then, the choir has been led by : <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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  • Denis Plancade (1979-1980)<\/li>
  • Michel Rivi\u00e8re des Borderies (1980-1987)<\/li>
  • Yves Lequin (1987-1989)<\/li>
  • Fran\u00e7ois Terrieux (1989-1990)<\/li>
  • David Godfroid (1990-1999)<\/li>
  • Wilfried Busaal (1999-2003)<\/li>
  • Victoria Digon (2004-2007)<\/li>
  • Peggy Pehau (2007-2009)<\/li>
  • Luciano Bibiloni (2009-2013)<\/li>
  • Tobias Sebastian Dreher (2013-2014)<\/li>
  • Laetitia Toulouse (2014- 2017)<\/li>
  • Marie-Anne Simorre (2017-2023)<\/li>
  • Dimitri Ayache (2023 – present)<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    In 2009, Mgr Robert Le Gall, Archbishop of Toulouse, officially designated the association as the Ma\u00eetrise de la cath\u00e9drale Saint-\u00c9tienne. It is now made up of the historic boys’ choir, to which were successively added in 2009 and 2010 a girls’ choir and a pre-choir. Each group welcomes between 15 and 35 young people for weekly choral training. In September 2016, a partnership was set up with the Caousou and Grand Rond schools, and in 2024, the Saint-Thomas d’Aquin school also became a partner. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    In its 90 years of existence, the Ma\u00eetrise has experienced many events, of which only a few can be mentioned here.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    • Numerous receptions in Rome by<\/strong> successive popes<\/strong>, the first time in 1948 with Pius XII at Castelgondolfo,<\/li>
    • In 1953, the Ma\u00eetrise was on an official mission to Berlin for 8 days of concerts, some of which were held in German prison camps<\/strong>,<\/li>
    • In 1971, the Ma\u00eetrise took part in a concert at the Olympia and a recording for Unicef<\/strong>,<\/li>
    • The same year, she performed at the Olympia with Tino Rossi<\/b>,<\/li>
    • In 1982, the little singers were received by Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik<\/b>, sovereigns of Denmark,<\/li>
    • In 1988 they sang at the foot of the Berlin Wall<\/b>, a year before it fell,<\/li>
    • They took part in various operas at the Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Capitole<\/b> in the 1980s and 1990s,<\/li>
    • In 1996, they took part in the recording of a CD by tenor Roberto Alagna<\/strong>,<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      • After several vinyl recordings, the Ma\u00eetrise released its 1st CD in June 1996, sponsored by Claude Nougaro<\/strong>,<\/li>
      • On April 27, 1999, she accompanied Pierre Bachelet<\/strong> for the song “Vingt ans” at the inauguration of the Zenith in Toulouse,<\/li>
      • In 2001, the little singers led the mass in memory of the AZF victims<\/strong> and took part in the special “Solidarit\u00e9 Toulouse” evening broadcast on France 2 from the Halle aux Grains,<\/li>
      • In 2004, they took part in Michel Plasson’s farewell concert at Le Z\u00e9nith, sang at the last tributes to Claude Nougaro<\/strong> in the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, and gave an aubade at the Capitole for Queen Elizabeth II of England, who was visiting Toulouse,<\/li>
      • In 2006, the Ma\u00eetrise was received at the French Embassy in Madrid<\/b>,<\/li>
      • During his long life, young musicians have been regularly invited to perform as soloists, one of them in 2008 for a series of concerts in Japan<\/strong>,<\/li>
      • In 2012, the Ma\u00eetrise performed Handel’s Messiah<\/strong> at Saint-Etienne Cathedral, with 4 guest choirs,<\/li>
      • In April 2013, the little singers were invited to Moissac for the inauguration of the esplanade des Justes<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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        Today, the Ma\u00eetrise continues to pursue its mission of education, choral training and the dissemination of musical works to a wide audience.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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        1936 – 2025: 90 years of the Ma\u00eetrise The Renaissance of the Ma\u00eetrise Today’s Ma\u00eetrise de la Cath\u00e9drale Saint-\u00c9tienne de Toulouse was given a new lease of life in 1936 thanks to the sustained efforts of Abb\u00e9 Georges Rey. After centuries of influence in Toulouse, accompanied by numerous masters and composers such as Andr\u00e9 Campra,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4381,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_mc_calendar":[],"footnotes":""},"folder":[],"class_list":["post-6943","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maitrisecathedraletoulouse.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maitrisecathedraletoulouse.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maitrisecathedraletoulouse.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maitrisecathedraletoulouse.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maitrisecathedraletoulouse.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/maitrisecathedraletoulouse.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maitrisecathedraletoulouse.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maitrisecathedraletoulouse.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maitrisecathedraletoulouse.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/folder?post=6943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}