The verse was written by a young man named André de Mézenge, a nephew on his mother’s side of the aforementioned Sébastien de Brossard. This young man showed great promise, not only in poetry, but also in several other arts, but the Lord took him from us in the year 1708, at the age of twenty-two.’ (Brossard, Catalogue, p. 366)

Sébastien de Brossard (1655-1730) is still known today, but for the wrong reason. People no longer know him for his compositions, but for his 'Dictionaire de Musique' from 1703, a work that is still a valuable source of French music from the seventeenth century. Brossard's music enjoyed a considerable popularity at the time. Brossard was also a valued teacher and a large collector: in 1725 he donated a large collection of manuscripts to the Bibliothèque Royale. He added a few works of his own, according to his own words 'because there were still some empty folders'.

The richness and splendour of French Baroque sacred music, by turns gravely sombre and spectacularly exuberant, have already been amply demonstrated by Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel through their series of recordings on Glossa of music by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. But it was not just in Paris or in the country’s religious foundations that such involved music-making was called upon, but also in cities such as Troyes and Châlons-sur-Marne where Pierre Bouteiller, maître de musique in cathedrals there during the reign of Louis XIV, composed his Missa pro defunctis, a beautiful setting scored for five voice parts with instrumental accompaniment.

Born in Normandy and largely self-taught in musical theory, Sebastien de Brossard (1655-1730) spent most of his career directing cathedral choirs in Strasbourg, Meaux, and other Alsatian cities. Brossard's 'Grands Motets' are plainly in the tradition of Lully, but have less of French elegance and more of German seriousness about them, a quality perhaps suited to Alsatian taste. Brossard has been better known as a musical theorist and as the author of the first musical dictionary in the French language, but his compositions are quite well-crafted and concert-worthy. He ranks, I think, with Delalande, Dumont, Charpentier, and a notch or two below Lully himself and Rameau. Nearly every French Baroque composer worth his salt wrote a Grand Motet on the text of Psalm 125, "In convertendo Dominus captivitatem Sion," and it's quite interesting to compare the various expressions of rejoicing in the Lord's favor.

When the French court moved into the magnificent residence of Versailles on May 6, 1682, France was at the zenith of its power. The king, no longer a young man in his mid-forties by the standards of the time, was increasingly coming under the influence of Madame de Maintenon, who had risen from the position of governess to his illegitimate children to become the Sun King's maitresse and later wife. The pious lady brought the king back into the arms of the church, which was not without influence on the musical entertainment of his majesty. In addition to chamber music, which Louis always appreciated, sacred cantatas in French were now in demand for the court's devotions.

Sébastien de Brossard, an enthusiastic collector of music, pedagogue and author of the first dictionary of music, was also a very talented composer. This champion of Italian music and great connoisseur of the music of Carissimi probably took the Roman master as the model for his two oratorios. Leandro, a dramatic work in Italian, is a miniature masterpiece and one of the earliest cantatas by a French composer.

David Bates leads La Nuova Musica in 'Sacrifices', a programme of intensely dramatic oratorios from the mid Baroque. Three poignant tales of denail and sacrifice: St Peter's denial of Christ; Abraham's [narrowly averted] sacrifice of his son Isaac; and the Old Testament story of Jepthe, the hero commander who, before leading the Israelites into battle against the Ammonites, vows to God that if he is victorious, he will sacrifice the first living thing he meets upon his return.
Unfortunately it is his darling daughter, who dances out to greet him with cymbals and flutes. Jepthe must honour his vow…

Brossard did not have much formal training but was, nevertheless, a composer, theorist and lute player. He was a priest at Notre Dame and composed a number of sacred works, notably motets, oratorios, masses, and cantatas. (Prior to this he had composed a number of chansons and airs as well.) He wrote a number of treatises and collected many works that originated outside of France. Some of the publications by Brossard included dictionaries, collections, and catalogues. Characteristics of his music were extensive crescendos in a single vocal piece, initiation of the violin sonata in France, and harmonies that can only be considered ordinary.

Ce programme est l’évocation d’une bibliothèque imaginaire, celle de Jean-Baptiste Matho, célèbre chanteur de la Chapelle royale sous le règne de Louis XIV. Un testament musical au tournant du XVIIIe siècle, dans l’univers si particulier du petit motet pour taille (ténor), convoquant tour à tour Charpentier, Campra, Bouteiller, Suffret et bien sûr Brossard, qui nous interpelle par ce magnifique exorde : ‘Silentium. Dormi in hortis dilecta mea. Silence. Dors dans les jardins, mon amour.’"