A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Caurroy, François du

CAURROY, François Eustache du, Sieur de St. Frémin, born at Gerberoy near Beauvais 1549, died in Paris 1609; canon of the Ste. Chapelle and prior of St. Aïoul de Provins; a composer of great merit in his day. He was appointed director of the King's band in 1569, and continued in office during the reigns of Charles IX, Henry III, and Henry IV. In 1599 the post of Surintendant de la Musique du Roi was created for him. He was buried in the Church des Grands Augustins. A monument (destroyed in the Revolution) was erected to his memory by his successor Nicolas Formé, with an epitaph by his friend Cardinal du Perron. Du Caurroy was called by his contemporaries 'Prince des professeurs de musique,' a title he shared with Orlando Lasso and Palestrina. His compositions include 'Missa pro defunctis,' performed at the funerals of the kings of France until the 18th century; one copy only exists at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris; 'Preces ecclesiasticæ' (Paris 1609), 'Precum ecclesiasticarum lib. 2' (Paris 1609), and, published by his grandnephew André Pitart, 'Fantaisies' in 3, 4, 5, and 6 parts (Paris 1610) and 'Mélanges de musique' (Paris 1610) from which Burney prints in his 3rd volume a Noël in four parts. Du Caurroy has been credited with the airs 'Charmante Gabrielle' and 'Vive Henri IV.'

[ M. C. C. ]