Emmanuel Blain de Saint-Aubin

Blain De St-aubin, Emmanuel

Emmanuel (Marie) Blain De St-aubin. Translator, song-writer, tenor, teacher of music and languages, b Rennes, France, 29 or 30 Jun 1833, d Ottawa 9 Jul 1883; B LITT (Rennes) 1851. He completed his education in Paris. After brief sojourns in 1857 on St-Pierre and Miquelon and Prince Edward Island he settled in Quebec City. He was a government translator in Quebec and after 1865 in Ottawa. He wrote the words and music of many songs, including some on political and religious subjects, and developed a personal style of performance. In effect an early chansonnier, he performed in the salons of Sir George-Étienne Cartier and Sir Adolphe Caron, at the Institut canadien, and elsewhere. He also did much to make the music of the French song-writer Gustave Nadaud popular in Canada. His published songs include 'L'Exilé de là-bas' (words by H. Violeau) in L'Echo du Cabinet de lecture paroissial (1 Jul 1862) and 'Le Chemin des amoureux'/'The Lovers' Walk,' and 'Vir' de bord, mon ami Pierre' in L'Album musical, 1882. He was the author of the poem 'La Mère canadienne,' which was set to music by Antoine Dessane. His series of essays 'De l'enseignement de la musique' were published in the Montreal Journal de l'instruction publique (Feb, Mar, Apr 1860). He was the grandfather of Charles and Blain Mathé.