Lucien Deiss
{{Short description|French priest and composer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = The Reverend
| name = Lucien Deiss
| honorific_suffix = CsSp
| image =
| birth_date = 2 September 1921
| birth_place = Eschbach, France
| death_date = 9 October 2007
| death_place = Bicêtre Hospital,{{cite journal |url=http://www.pastoralliturgy.org/resources/0709WeRememberLucienDiess.php |title=We Remember a Wonderful Prophet: Lucien Deiss |first=Mary G. |last=Fox |journal=Rite |volume=38 |number=5 |date=October 2007 |access-date=21 February 2023}}
Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| occupation = Priest, professor, composer
| style =
}}
Lucien Deiss, {{post-nominals|post-noms=CSSp}} was a French Catholic priest, biblical scholar, and liturgical composer. He was born in Eschbach, Bas-Rhin, on 2 September 1921, and died on 9 October 2007 at the age of 86.
Biography
Deiss entered the Congregation of the Holy Ghost in 1942, and was ordained a priest in 1943, both during World War II. He also studied at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome. Passionate about the Bible and liturgy, for a year he was professor of Holy Scripture at the newly established major seminary of Brazzaville, Congo. Returning to France for health reasons in 1948, he spent decades as a professor and a retiree at the seminary of Chevilly-Larue, which later renamed its library in his honor.{{cite web |url=https://bibliothequeluciendeiss.org/index.php/lucien-deiss/ |via=Bibliothèque Lucien Deiss, Congrégation du Saint-Esprit, Chevilly-Larue, France |title=Le Père Lucien Deiss et le renouveau de la liturgie |first=Robert |last=Metzger |work=Mémoire Spiritaine 16 |date=2002 |access-date=2 April 2023 |language=fr}}{{cite web |url=http://www.musimem.com/Deiss_Lucien.htm |title=Le Père Lucien Deiss et le chant liturgique |first=Olivier |last=Geoffroy |website=Musica et Memoria |date=2018–2022 |access-date=24 July 2023 |language=fr}}
{{Commons category|Bibliothèque Lucien Deiss}}
Deiss composed over 400 pieces of liturgical music, many inspired by Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony with biblical texts. He once described the impetus for his composing career, starting at a small suburban parish in the 1950s: "I realized that the people knew almost nothing of the Bible, so I decided to try using music to help them memorize the more important texts."
Beyond France, some of his works were widely translated and sold over 5 million copies.{{Cite news |url=http://www.la-croix.com/article/index.jsp?docId=2317112&rubId=4078 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013231155/http://www.la-croix.com/article/index.jsp?docId=2317112&rubId=4078 |title=Le P. Lucien Deiss, missionnaire de la beauté, est mort |first=Nicolas |last=Senèze |newspaper=La Croix |date=11 October 2007 |archive-date=13 October 2007 |language=fr}} His Biblical Hymns and Psalms (1965) was one of the first major collections of new music for English-language Masses, responding to the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council in which he participated, and earning him an honorary Doctorate in Sacred Music from his congregation's Duquesne University.{{cite web |url=http://www.wlp.jspaluch.com/wlp/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011204306/http://www.wlp.jspaluch.com/wlp/ |title=Rev. Lucien Deiss, C.S.Sp., 1921–2007 |publisher=World Library Publications |date=10 October 2007 |archive-date=11 October 2007}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ocp.org/en-us/artists/717/lucien-deiss-cssp |title=Lucien Deiss, CSSp |publisher=Oregon Catholic Press |access-date=21 February 2023}} The National Association of Pastoral Musicians named him "Pastoral Musician of the Year" for United States Catholics in 1992.{{cite web |url=https://npm.org/about/npm-awards/ |title=NPM Awards |publisher=National Association of Pastoral Musicians |access-date=2 April 2023}} He received a Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros for the 2005 album Ave Maria that he recorded with his Chevilly seminary choir.{{cite web |url=https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/awards/academie-charles-cros/gpacc/download-streaming-albums |title=Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros |publisher=Qobuz |access-date=2 April 2023}}
Works
= Musical compositions =
Italian:
- Donaci, Signor, un cuore nuovo
- Popolo regale
- Terra tutta, da' lode a Dio
- Un solo Signore
- Alleluia, la tua parola
French:
- Souviens-toi de Jésus-Christ
- L'Esprit de Dieu
- Terre entière chante ta joie
- Un seul Seigneur
- Peuple de prêtres, peuple de rois
- "All the Earth, Proclaim the Lord"
- "Grant to Us, O Lord"
- "Keep in Mind"
- "My Shepherd Is the Lord"
- "My Soul Is Longing for Your Peace"
- "With a Joyful Heart"
= Books =
- Synopse de Matthieu, Marc et Luc, avec les Paralleles de Jean. Desclée de Brouwer, 1963.
- Biblical Hymns and Psalms. Multiple volumes and publishers, starting 1965.
- Come, Lord Jesus: Biblical Prayers with Psalms and Scripture Readings. World Library Publications, 1981.
- La messe: sa célébration expliquée. Desclée de Brouwer, 1989.
- Joseph, Marie, Jésus. Editions Saint Paul, 1997.
- La Prière chrétienne des psaumes. Desclée de Brouwer, 2001.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Portal bar|Catholicism|Classical music|France}}
{{Authority control|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deiss, Lucien}}
Category:20th-century French composers
Category:21st-century French composers
Category:French biblical scholars
Category:French male composers
Category:Roman Catholic biblical scholars
Category:French composers of sacred music
Category:20th-century French Roman Catholic priests
Category:21st-century French Roman Catholic priests