François Le Febvre

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Biography

This musician is identified as the composer of the music of the chanson Que dira l’on du noble advenement de ce vainqueur, inserted in a publication issued by Attaingnant’s widow in 1558 for celebrating Duke François de Guise after his victory at Calais. The title of this book of laudatory poems, which includes only one musical score, specifies clearly: "Avec une chanson en l'honneur de mondict seigneur de Guise, mise en musique par François Le Febvre" (PABC [Heartz 1969], p. 377, n° 174).
He is probably the author of the chanson Et en suyvant nostre coustume attributed to "Le Feure" in Du Chemin's 14^e livre de chansons of 1560, where it is labeled Le roy boit in the table and above the music. The last section of this chanson, J’ay veu le cerf du bois, uses and old popular refrain that appears in the two monodic chansonniers of the start of the century (F-Pnm, Français 12744 [Chansonnier A] et Français 9346 [Chansonnier B]). On the other hand, F. Dobbins suggested in his article for the Grove dictionary, that Le Febvre might also be the composer of the "unascribed piece celebrating the siege and capture of Calais, Hardis Français et furieulx Normans from the same book" (GMO, art. "Le Fèvre, François"). This piece is indeed (and surprisingly) anonymous in Du Chemin's publication but it clearly is by Guillaume Costeley (for further discussion, see this Chanson in RDL and the introduction of Costeley Online).
It has also been suggested that he might be the composer of two chansons attributed to "Lefe" by Pierre Attaingnant in his 16^e livre de chansons nouvelles published in 1545 (PABC [Heartz 1969], p. 332, n° 123).
An Adrian Le Fevre and Michel Le Fevre were listed as chantres in royal houseolds of Marie d’Escosse, the duc d’Orleans [future Henri III] and Henri d’Anjou between 1559 and 1562 (Handy 2008, p. 162 et autres), but no archival record has yet been located for François Le Febvre.

Fiala David, Freedman Richard

Information

Roles

Composer
Gender

Male

Events

(YYYY-MM-DD)

Musical source

Composer
1558/1560
Paris (France)

Associated works

1 in database

Et en suyvant nostre coutume (Le Roy boit) Composer

Variant names

Lefebure ; Le Febure ; Lefeure ; Le Feure ; Lefevre ; Le Fevre ; Lefèvre ; Le Fèvre

Associated people

No associated person.

Bibliography

[Barbier 1997]

Barbier, J., 1997, La musique au temps de Claude de Lorraine, premier duc de Guise, Le Mécénat et l’influence des Guises : actes du colloque organisé par le Centre de recherche sur la littérature de la Renaissance de l’Université de Reims et tenu à Joinville du 31 mai au 4 juin 1994 (et à Reims pour la journée du 2 juin), Paris, p. 143‑159 https://classiques-garnier.com/le-mecenat-et-l-influence-des-guises-la-musique-au-temps-de-claude-de-lorraine-premier-duc-de-guise.html (consulté le 2 septembre 2026).

[GMO]

S. d., Grove Music Online, Grove Music Online https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/grovemusic/ (consulté le 5 avril 2025).

[Handy 2008]

Handy, I., 2008, Musiciens au temps des derniers Valois (1547-1589), Paris http://www.sudoc.fr/128903473.

[PABC [Heartz 1969]]

Heartz, D., 1969, Pierre Attaingnant: royal printer of music, a historical study and bibliographical catalogue, Berkeley, Los Angeles http://www.sudoc.fr/045395985.

Projects

Catalogue of French Chansons
Du Chemin Project
Prosopography of Renaissance Singers

Contributors

David Fiala - Project manager ; Biography author

Philippe Vendrix - Project manager

Annie Cœurdevey - Scientific editor

Richard Freedman - Biography author

Data collectors

Richard Freedman

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