The Prosopography of Renaissance Singers (PCR, after its original French title: Prosopographie des chantres de la Renaissance) is a database of biographies of professional singers employed in European princely chapels and major churches from c. 1350 to c. 1600. To this day, the database collects about 4500 entries which are progressively processed before being made public on the website. These files gather a wide variety of structured data on the singers, such as the multilingual variants of their names, their dates and places of activities, the identification of their patrons or their ecclesiastical and beneficial careers, together with their fully written-out biographies. Though the PCR inevitably includes most composers of the late middle ages and early modern period, its priority is to feed the biographies of their fellow colleagues who were employed in the same establishments but, not having been identified as authors of musical works, have received much less attention from musicologists and historians. The PCR is an ongoing project. Draft biographies stored in the back office are periodically validated for online publication and it is regularly enriched with new entries.

Project history
Originating as en enlargment of the prosopographical appendices of David Fiala's doctoral dissertation on the musicians of the court of Burgundy in the later 15th century (Fiala 2002), the project began in 2007 with a research campaign funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR), in collaboration with the University of Rouen, the Centre d’études supérieures de la Renaissance (CESR) of the University of Tours, the CNRS and Le STUDIUM: Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies. In 2010, the PCR was aligned with the information from Rob Wegman's Bibliography of Singers in Continental Europe, 1450-1500 (Wegman BSCE), a major forerunner of PCR which has ever only been accessible as an unpublished printout of an old database (on the ancestor of all these projects, which never came to life, see Perkins 1987). A further important step in the enrichment of the database was the systematic inclusion of the biographies of all singers employed in French Saintes-Chapelles in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, in the frame of another project funded by the ANR in 2011-2015 (for the Saintes-Chapelles of Paris and Bourges: Szpirglas 2015). A first public online interface was released in 2017, which gives full access to 4557 entries but in very diverse editorial states (link below). This old interface, which has not been maintained, nor corrected nor enriched since then, is now being replaced by this one, which offers much more editorial control and structured data.

Scope and caracteristics of the database
The database primarily collects the results of biographical research concerning singers active in institutions of France, the Low Countries and Italy, but also considers the activities of singers in Spain, Germany and other European countries. There are different kinds of entries in the database. The user will find entries in progress, which propose just a few pieces of information, as well as complete entries, available in French and English. The user can query these by full-text search. Such queries are more successful in French than in English, as a large number of biographies are in French.

The PCR data model rests on the principle of biographies structured as series of events. An event is a nexus of data situated in time and connecting an individual to various elements such as : event type, role, place, institution. The production of events being the most time-consuming task of the PCR, they are only progressively attached to the biographies. The quality and precision of the results of advanced searches are directly depending on the availibity of corresponding events.

PCR side ressources
Beside its bibliography of several hundreds of references, the PCR maintains its own reference list of archival repositories accross Europe, while references to the documentation kept in libraries follow RISM sigla. It also maintains generic tools such as a multilingual thesaurus of given names (and their diminutives) which facilitates identifications accross different contexts, or tables of music patrons and musical establishments.

Musicologists interested in contributing are invited to contact the responsible of the project, David Fiala.

Files

Sample of 65 PCR bilingual biographies in French and English, December 2008

External links

Former interface of PCR (2017) (Full access to the data of the PCR in their 2017 stage, in very diverse editorial states)

Bibliography

[Fiala 2002]

Fiala, D., 2002, Le mécénat musical des ducs de Bourgogne et des princes de la maison de Habsbourgs : 1467-1506 : étude documentaire et prosopographique, Thèse de doctorat soutenue à Tours, 2002 http://www.sudoc.fr/069901945.

[Perkins 1987]

Perkins, L. L., 1987, RENARC: A Data Base of Archival References concerning Music and Musicians of the Renaissance, Acta Musicologica, 59, p. 300‑307 https://www.jstor.org/stable/932950 (consulté le 12 septembre 2025).

[Szpirglas 2015]

Szpirglas, J., 2015, Prosopographie des musiciens des Saintes-Chapelles de Paris (1248 - ca1640) et de Bourges (1405 - ca1640), Thèse de doctorat soutenue à , 2015 https://theses.fr/2015TOUR2027 (consulté le 27 avril 2024).

[Wegman BSCE]

Wegman, R. C., 1990, Bibliography of singers in Continental Europe (1450-1500) https://www.academia.edu/128192308/Rob_C_Wegman_Bibliography_of_Singers_in_Continental_Europe_1990_.

Contributors

Alden Jane

Avocat Guillaume

Belliot Hyacinthe

Bouckaert Bruno

Callewier Hendrik

Cavicchi Camilla

Cingolani Stefano Maria

Dumitrescu Theodor

Fiala David

Gurrieri Marco

Kirkman Andrew

McDonald Grantley

Nicolas Patrice

Nys Ludovic

Pilleboue Frédérique

Planchart Alejandro

Sherr Richard

Szpirglas Jacques

Vendrix Philippe

Jacobus Ranucius fl. 1433/1435

Roles: Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Singer

Jacobus Tick fl. 1454-1463

Roles: Choirmaster ; Succentor (ecclesiastical office)

Jacques de Fécamp fl. 1384-1414†

Roles: Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon) ; Member of a court chapel (musician)

Jacques de Fourchet fl. 1385

Roles: Member of a church (musician) ; Singer

Jacques Lienart fl. 1422

Roles: Member of a court chapel (musician)

Jacques Ragot fl. 1424-1465†

Roles: Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon) ; Member of a church (lower ranked officer) ; Member of a church (musician) ; Member of a court chapel (musician)

Jan Blijman fl. 1468-1510†

Roles: Member of a church (musician) ; Singer ; Succentor (ecclesiastical office) ; Tenor

Jan die Gruyter fl. 1508/1525

Roles: Organist

Jan Gruter fl. 1491-1509†

Roles: Illegitimate birth ; Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon) ; Member of a church (musician) ; Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Singer ; Tenor

Jannes Petitto fl. 1491/1493

Roles: Member of a church (musician)

Jaspaert van den Kerchove alias de Atrio fl. after 1470-1500†

Roles: Member of a church (musician) ; Singer ; Tenor

Jaspar Atro fl. 1516

Roles: Member of a church (musician)

Jean Abidon fl. 1379-1389

Roles: Member of a court chapel (musician)

Jean Barbé fl. 1486-1507†

Roles: Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon) ; Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Priest ; Singer

Jean Beaugendre circa 1400-fl. 1422

Roles: Choirboy ; Member of a church (musician) ; Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Singer

Jean Bonnet dit Lienard fl. 1462-1465

Roles: Member of a court chapel (musician)

Jean Boulenger alias Petit Jean fl. 1406/1416

Roles: Member of a church (musician) ; Singer

Jean Boussart dit Antitus fl. 1488-1504†

Roles: Lyricist-Poet ; Member of a church (lower ranked officer) ; Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Member of a princely/private household

Jean Brunet fl. 1437/1448

Roles: Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon)

Jean Charvet alias Petit Jean fl. 1407-1463

Roles: Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon) ; Member of a court chapel (lower ranked officer) ; Member of a princely/private household

Jean Cousin fl. 1523/1524

Roles: Master of choirboys ; Member of a church (musician)

Jean Cousin (Sens) fl. 1501/1523

Roles: Master of choirboys ; Member of a church (musician)

Jean Daule fl. 1460/1467

Roles: Member of a princely/private household ; Monastic Order

Jean de Decker fl. 1470/1476

Roles: Member of a court chapel (lower ranked officer)

Jean de Fairechin fl. 1440

Roles: Member of a church (musician)

Jean de La Haye fl. 1436-1444

Roles: Composer ; Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Member of a princely/private household

Jean de Lannoy fl. 1447-before 1490†

Roles: Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon) ; Member of a court chapel (musician)

Jean de Thalice fl. 1470

Roles: Music copyist

Jean Doublet fl. 1532/1540

Roles: Composer ; Organist

Jean Du Moulin fl. 1518-1563†

Roles: Choirboy ; Composer ; Dedicatee/Owner ; Master of choirboys ; Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon) ; Member of a church (musician)

Jean Dupont fl. 1385

Roles: Member of a church (musician) ; Singer

Jean Forest fl. 1473

Roles: Member of a princely/private household ; Priest

Jean Fortry fl. 1455-1468†

Roles: Master of choirboys ; Member of a church (musician) ; Member of a court chapel (musician)

Jean Gontier fl. circa 1417

Roles: Organist

Jean Guerin (Bourges) fl. 1529-1532†

Roles: Dedicatee/Owner ; Member of a church (musician)

Jean Guerin (Langres) fl. 1485/1486

Roles: Member of a church (musician)

Jean Guyot de Châtelet circa 1512-1588

Roles: Choirmaster ; Composer ; Member of a church (lower ranked officer) ; Student ; Succentor (ecclesiastical office)

Jean Herlevin fl. 1444/1445

Roles: Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Singer

Jean Hurtault fl. 1490/1491

Roles: Member of a court chapel (musician)

Jean Lebuef fl. 1362

Roles: Composer ; Monastic Order

Jean Leclerc (Sens) fl. 1566/1567

Roles: Master of choirboys ; Member of a church (musician)

Jean Le Petit alias Ninot Le Petit fl. 1506-1529

Roles: Choirmaster ; Composer ; Master of choirboys ; Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon)

Jean Le Pontchenu alias Petit Jean fl. 1493

Roles: Member of a church (musician)

Jean Louard fl. 1504/1505

Roles: Master of choirboys ; Member of a church (musician)

Jean Macé fl. 1554/1555

Roles: Member of a church (lower ranked officer)

Jean Maçon fl. 1384/1385

Roles: Member of a church (musician) ; Sender or bearer of music score ; Singer

Jean Molinet fl. 1503-1523

Roles: Composer ; Member of a church (musician) ; Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Singer

Jean Petit alias Baltazar fl. 1488-1502†

Roles: Author or recipient of a letter ; Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon) ; Member of a court chapel (musician)

Jean Petit (de Cléry) fl. 1578-1582

Roles: Bassus ; Member of a church (musician) ; Singer

Jean Petit (Paris) 1637†

Roles: Singer

Jean Picard fl. 1369

Roles: Master of choirboys ; Member of a church (musician) ; Priest

Jean Prestat fl. 1385/1418

Roles: Member of a church (musician) ; Singer

Jean Richafort fl. 1504-circa 1550†

Roles: Choirmaster ; Composer ; Master of choirboys ; Member of a church (lower ranked officer) ; Member of a church (musician)

Jean Roussel 1385†

Roles: Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon) ; Singer

Jean Servin 1529-1609

Roles: Composer ; Dedicator

Jean Sohier alias Fede 1415-fl. 1481

Roles: Composer ; Involved in a criminal case ; Master of choirboys ; Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon) ; Member of a church (lower ranked officer) ; Member of a church (musician) ; Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Member of a princely/private household ; Pilgrim

Jean Thion fl. 1505

Roles: Master of choirboys

Jean Tordoir fl. 1420/1424

Roles: Member of a court chapel (musician)

Jean Vincenet fl. 1422-1447†

Roles: Member of a church (higher ecclesiastic, canon) ; Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Priest

Joachim Richafort fl. 1532-1546

Roles: Member of a church (lower ranked officer) ; Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Priest

Joachim Richafort Junior fl. 1539

Roles: Member of a church (musician) ; Tenor

Johannes de Buglhat fl. 1528/1555

Roles: Bookseller ; Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Music printer ; Printer/Publisher

Johannes de Lupicen [Jean de Louveciennes ?] fl. 1305

Roles: Choirboy ; Member of a church (musician) ; Singer

Johannes Le Petijt fl. 1503-1514

Roles: Member of a church (musician) ; Succentor (ecclesiastical office)

Johannes Marsille fl. 1431-1464

Roles: Member of a court chapel (musician) ; Member of a princely/private household

Johannes Reson fl. 1425/1435

Roles: Composer ; Member of a church (musician)

Johannes Saliceus / de Salice fl. circa 1480

Roles: Composer ; Singer

Johannes Vavassoris fl. 1373

Roles: Composer ; Monastic Order ; Music copyist

Joseph Demorant fl. 1551

Roles: Member of a church (musician) ; Singer

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Fiala David, Prosopography of Renaissance Singers (2007-...), in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/projects/5/] (accessed 05 October 2025).

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