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René Émile Camille BLIN, born November 13, 1884 in Somsois (Marne
Department, France), started a law degree, but then abandoned it to
become the pupil of Joseph Jemain, Alexandre Guilmant, and Vincent
d'Indy at the Schola Cantorum. He wrote masses, motets, Noëls,
melodies, as well as music for the piano and for the violin. He
succeeded Joseph Boulnois as organist at Ste-Élisabeth-du-Temple
(Paris) in 1910.
Interestingly, Léonce de Saint-Martin, organist
at Notre-Dame, dedicated one of his works in 1940 to “René Blin,
organiste de chœur de N.D. de Paris”, indicating that Blin also played
at the choir organ at Notre-Dame. It is unclear if Blin resigned from
Ste-Élisabeth to take up this position, or if he kept both positions
until his death in 1951. Blin also dedicated a piece to
Saint-Martin, his Rosace for organ, a sensual and haunting
Impressionist evocation of the changing colors of a stained-glass
window as the sun sets.
In addition to the pieces I've already
mentioned, Blin wrote a monumental 62-page Symphonie in Bb for organ,
Trois Pièces, Toccata, Suite Héroïque, Fugue, Marche Funèbre,
Offertoire pour la Présentation de la Sainte Vierge, Fughetta sur le
"Ite missa est", Litanies, Memento Verbi Tui, Stella Matutina and
Refugium pecatorum. I'd dearly love to find the last 11 in this list,
as I have not been able to locate them, and if they are of similar
quality to the rest of his works, it would be wonderful to see them
come once again to light and be played.</p>
Here is his Marche Nuptiale </p>
Enjoy!</p>
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-J
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