Person

-- English translation G. McDonald --
Paris, Sainte-Chapelle, 1511
The document recording his reception as cleric of the Sainte-Chapelle, dated 11.2.1511, indicates that he was a native of Chenou (F-dép. Seine-et-Marne), and sang high-tenor or counter-tenor (“Jehan Bonnevyn, musicien ayant voix de haute contre, natif de Chenou en Beauce”; Brenet 1910, p. 61, n. 2, after F-AN, LL 623, f. 98v).

Papal chapel, 1514-1542
Bonnevin became a member of the papal chapel in 1514, and was for nearly thirty years one of the most famous musicians in the papal chapel. He certainly is the "Ioannes Basiron" (by confusion of Beausseron with the last name of the late 15th-c. composer) included by S. Vanneo in 1533 in a list of the best composers of his time, focusing on papal chapel members of the 1520s (Vanneo 1533, f. 93: "De quibusdam graviores praeceptis optimo compositori semper observandis. Capitulum XL et ultimum. […] ut videre licet hac nostra tempestate in missis & artificiosis motettis ab exquisitis musicis conditis, in quorum coetu hodie hi venerantur vidilicet Adrianus Villart, Constantius Festa, Ioannes Concilion, Ioannes Basiron, Carles, Carpentras, Ioannes Lheritier, Maistre Jan, Iacquet, Iacotin & nonulli alii"). He is still cited amongst the most illustrious singers of Leo X by Cosimo Bartoli in 1567 (Bartoli 1567, f. 36-37, cited by Pirro 1935, pp. 15-16: "if only you could have heard Carpentras, Consiglio, Bidon, Biaseron [i.e. Beausseron]"; also see Haar 1988, p. 67).

In a motu proprio from the end of June 1514, he is mentioned with George Le Vasseur* as singer and chaplain of the chapel of Leo X. A document of 15.2.1517 details that he was at that time a clerc of the diocese of Chartres and papal notary (“clerico Carnotensis diocesi notario”). His career in Rome permitted him to accumulate a number of benefices. He obtained, in succession, the position of rector of the church of Vouillé (dioc. Poitiers; F-dép. Vienne) on 19.7.1516; a prebendary canonry of Saint-Géry in Cambrai (Frey 1955, p. 71) on 31.7.1516; the priory of Our-Lady “Dallouhe”, i.e. d’Alloue (dioc. Poitiers; F-dép. Charente) in 1517; the position of rector of the church “de Carampis” (dioc. Noyon; to de identified) and the priory of Sainte-Geneviève (dioc. Soissons) on 26.9.1518; the position of rector of the parish church of Saint-Martin de Tours on 8.10.1520; a canonicate at the cathedral of Bourges on 1.7.1521 (Frey 1955, pp. 179-180; Frey 1956, p. 415); and finally, on 29.11.1539, he received the almonry of Sainte-Marie de Vorselar in the diocese of Cambrai (Haberl 1887, p. 268 [Bst. III, p. 80]; Celani 1907, p. 93). In January 1535, he served as a singer in the private chapel of Pope Paul III (Haberl 1887, p. 265 [Bst. III, p. 77]). His autograph receipt notes appear on two lists of salaries of the officers of the papal chapel, one for December 1526, and the other datable before the Sack of Rome; this latter also documents his salary of 8 ducats (V-CVbav, CS 681, f. 75-76, reproduced in Sherr 1976, pp. 473-475). On all this, see also Sherr CSB, Bonnevin.

Death, 22.5.1542
Bonnevin died suddenly on 22.5.1542, and was buried the following day. His memorial was held on 5 June in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi (Haberl 1887, p. 269 [Bst. III, p. 81]; Casimiri 1932, p. 262).

Works
Two masses, a Credo and five motets composed by Bonnevin are extant, principally in musical manuscripts of the Vatican Library. They are published in CMM 95, I, pp. 40-120.