The Teacher and Administrator

"Back in Canada in 1928, Claude Champagne, with a complete command of his technique, devoted himself increasingly to teaching, perhaps even neglecting his composition as a result."

"Claude Champagne was a genuine pioneer in Montréal, so far as solfège, theory, harmony, counterpoint, fugue, orchestration and composition were concerned."
Andrée Desautels, "Documentary Prepared by Andrée Desautels," Anthology of Canadian Music: Claude Champagne.  Radio Canada International, ACM 30, 1988, p. 25.

"I found myself in a rather precarious situation from every point of view.  I had already been forgotten as a performer, for a start, and specialization in harmony, counterpoint and fugue was not a very common thing, [but] because I had done intensive study in those areas, I devoted myself entirely to them, dropping my teaching of piano, the violin and the saxophone . . . so that instrumentalists who were still teaching . . . sent me their pupils to learn harmony.  So, I started teaching that as well as solfège and theory."
Andrée Desautels, "Documentary Prepared by Andrée Desautels," Anthology of Canadian Music:  Claude Champagne.  Radio Canada International, ACM 30, 1988, p. 25.

Program of a concert given by Claude Champagne's students, June 6, 1917.

Claude Champagne taught harmony, counterpoint, fugue and composition at the École supérieure de musique d'Outremont (today, the École de musique Vincent-d'Indy) 1929 - 1965.

Letter of recommendation from Sister Marie-Stéphane, S.N.J.M., headmistress of the École supérieure de musique d'Outremont.  October 7, 1932.

Arrival of Charles Koechlin in Canada for a conference on fugue and counterpoint at the École supérieure de musique d'Outremont.
1st row (from left to right):  Frédéric Pelletier; Charles Koechlin; the consul general of France; Claude Champagne.  2nd row (left to right):  Sister Véronique, S.N.J.M.; Sister Marie-Stéphane, S.N.J.M.; Louis Beaupré, O.M.I.; Brother Placide, C.S.C.
[1937], photographer:  R.G. Arless

Letter to Claude Champagne marking his 25 years of teaching at the École supérieure de musique d'Outremont.  December 3, 1953.

Claude Champagne was a teacher at the École normale de musique from 1930 to 1965. He taught harmony, counterpoint, fugue, orchestration, composition and solfège methodology according to Gédalge. Since the École normale de musique was then affiliated with the Université de Montréal, he was therefore part of the university jury.

Claude Champagne's comments on the performance examinations of June 1954.

Claude Champagne taught at the McGill Conservatorium of Music between 1933 and 1944.  In 1933 he was appointed as instructor in harmony and counterpoint. Between 1933 and 1940, he was instructor in composition and orchestration.  He then became a lecturer in composition, theory and aural training from 1941 to 1944.

Draft of a harmony exam. Autograph manuscript, March 9, 1934.

Counterpoint homework by composer Violet Archer, November 20, 1934.

Counterpoint homework by musicologist, composer and administrator Marvin Duchow, March 1936.  He studied theory with Claude Champagne at the McGill Conservatorium of Music from 1933 to 1937, as well as composition privately. Reproduced with permission from Rebecca Duchow (Mrs. Marvin Duchow).

Letter of recommendation from Douglas Clarke, dean of the Faculty of Music at McGill University. November 22, 1948.

In 1929, Claude Champagne submitted a report to Victor Doré, president of the Montreal Catholic School Commission, on the necessity of introducing solfège in the Catholic schools of the province of Quebec.  In 1935, Claude Champagne was named by the School Commission as director, organizer, inspector and teacher of solfège and singing in the schools.  He continued these duties until 1942.

Certificate to teach singing and solfège issued by the Department of Public Instruction.
June 22, 1939.

La Laurentienne, school song for voice and piano written in 1937.  Premiere in Montréal on June 13, 1938 by a choir made up of students from the Montreal Catholic School Commission conducted by Claude Champagne at a school children's festival at the Montreal Stadium.  (Work published by Ed. Archambault, Montréal, 1938.)
Reproduced with permission from Editions Archambault Musique.

Programme of "music and singing" written by Claude Champagne for the Montreal Catholic School Commission.  1940.

Pages from the program for the broadcast Radio-Collège, 1941-42.

Claude Champagne held the chair of music of the CBC program Radio-Collège between 1941 and 1945.  As part of the program "L'Initiation à la musique", he gave the four following series of courses:  "Styles et formes musicales" (1941-42), a second untitled series on the history of musical styles and forms (1942-43); "Les Instruments de l'orchestre" (1943-44); and "Les Familles de l'orchestre" (1944-45).

Page from the radio script for the first lesson, entitled "Exposé sur la musique", as part of the series of courses "Styles et formes musicales".  Annotations by Claude Champagne.  October 10, 1941.

Claude Champagne was instrumental in the creation of the system of conservatories in the province of Quebec.  In 1937, at the request of Jean Bruchési (Under-Secretary to the province of Quebec), Claude Champagne and Henri Gagnon undertook an inquiry into the status of music in Quebec at that time.  Then, in 1938, Jean Bruchési asked Claude Champagne to prepare a plan for a state conservatory.  The plan was presented to Dr. J.H. Albiny Paquette (secretary to the province of Quebec) and to Henri Groulx and Hector Perrier.  "Changes were made to the plan, but the essential elements remained when the Conservatory became a reality."
Letter from Jean Bruchési to Stéphane Venne, April 26, 1966.

In 1942, Claude Champagne was appointed assistant director and professor at the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique of the province of Quebec.  He also served as director of studies, composed tests for solfège, harmony, counterpoint and fugue, and sat on all the examination boards (instrumental, vocal and theoretical sections).  He retired in 1962.

"... as early as 1928, in a letter to Dr. Grondin, the director of Canadian students in Paris, Claude Champagne analyzed the situation of musical studies in Montreal, deploring their poverty and proposing the creation of a State conservatory like the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles and the Conservatoire national supérieur de Paris, with which he was familiar."
Andrée Desautels, "Documentary Prepared by Andrée Desautels," Anthology of Canadian Music:  Claude Champagne.  Radio Canada International, ACM 30, 1988, p. 25.

Official letter from Jean Bruchési appointing Claude Champagne assistant director at the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique de la province de Québec.  November 24, 1942.

Claude Champagne (left) and Wilfrid Pelletier at the opening of the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique de Montréal.
[1943], photograph:  "Photos-actualité".

Members of the administration and management.  From left to right:  Wilfrid Pelletier (director); Annette Doré (librarian-archivist); Claude Champagne, Jean Vallerand (Conservatoire secretary); Claire Bissonnette (secretary).
[1943], photographer: Henri Paul.

Counterpoint exam for the academic year 1950-51.  Autograph manuscript.

Composition assignment (n.d.) by pianist and composer André Gagnon, student at the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique de Montréal from 1957 to 1961.
Reproduced with permission from Mr. André Gagnon.

Harmony exam (n.d.) of composer Jacques Hétu, student at the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique de Montréal from 1956 to 1961.
Reproduced with permission from Mr. Jacques Hétu.

Composition (April 1959) by André Prévost, student at the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique de Montréal from 1951 to 1959. Reproduced with permission from Mr. André Prévost.

Article by Simone Gélinas.  April 16, 1960.  Source unknown.
(1972-11/F4,29)

In 1939, Olivier Maurault, rector of the Université de Montréal, joined the nine-member board known as the Comité d'étude de l'enseignement de la musique in order to study the possibility of creating a faculty of music and prepare for its creation.  Claude Champagne was a member of that board, along with Arthur Letondal, Georges-Émile Tanguay, Auguste Descarries, Eugène Lapierre, Ethelbert Thibault, Alfred Bernier, Albert Chamberland and Gabriel Cusson.  The Faculté de musique at the Université de Montréal opened its doors in October 1950 and was administered by a board composed of the members of the old Comité d'étude.  Claude Champagne not only helped manage the Faculté, he was also a member of the teaching staff from 1951 on.  In 1956, he was made an honorary professor.

Remarks made by Claude Champagne regarding the constitution of the Faculté de musique of the Université de Montréal.  [November, 1940].

Pamphlet of the program of studies offered by the Faculté de musique of the Université de Montréal.  n.d.

Volume of solfège exercises by Claude Champagne published in 1958 by publisher Ed. Archambault.
Reproduced with permission from Editions Archambault Musique.

Claude Champagne's compositions Petit canon no. 1 and Petit canon no 2. appear in this volume entitled Meet Canadian Composers at the Piano, published by Gordon V. Thompson Limited in 1958.
Reproduced with permission from Warner/Chappell Music Canada Ltd.

Petit scherzo pour piano.  Toronto:  Gordon V. Thompson Limited, 1958.
Reproduced with permission from Warner/Chappell Music Canada Ltd.

Claude Champagne collaborated with Boris Berlin on seven of nine volumes in a series of pedagogical works entitled Practical Sight Reading Exercises for Piano Students.  These were published by Gordon V. Thompson Limited between 1958 and 1964.
Reproduced with permission from Warner/Chappell Music Canada Ltd.