The Promoter of Canadian Music

On July 22, 1946, Claude Champagne left for a two-month tour of Brazil where he was invited to conduct and lecture.  The tour was arranged through the efforts of the Canadian ambassador to Brazil, Jean Désy, and was regarded as an important event in the world of Canadian music, marking the initial musical relations between South America and Canada.

Letter from José Siqueira, conductor of the Brasil Symphony Orchestra.
March 21, 1946.

Telegram from Jean Désy, Canadian ambassador to Brasil.
May 21, 1946.

Claude Champagne and his wife Jeanne in Rio de Janeiro.
[1946], photographer:  Foto Studio Rembrandt (Rio de Janeiro, Brasil).

Claude Champagne is invited by the National School of Music of Rio de Janeiro to give a series of eight courses for teachers on musical form and style.

Program of concert held August 18, 1946 at which Claude Champagne conducted the second half.

Draft of program for the chamber music concert which Claude Champagne organized with the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos.  The concert was presented under the joint auspices of the Brazilian government and the Canadian government, as represented by the ambassador Jean Désy.  The program was comprised almost entirely of Canadian music.  The concert took place on September 8, 1946 at the Department of Education, under the chairmanship of the Minister.

Claude Champagne (seated) at the home of Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (standing) in Rio de Janeiro.
[1946], photographer unknown.

From left to right:  Lorenzo Fernandez, Brazilian composer; Claude Champagne; Bidu Sayao, Brazilian soprano; Jean Morel, French conductor; Heitor Villa-Lobos, Brazilian composer.
[1946], photographer unknown.

Program of a concert of folk music given at the Colégio Arte e Instruçao in honour of Claude Champagne by 1000 students conducted by Domingos Raymundo, teacher at the National School of Music of Rio de Janeiro.  [1946].

Claude Champagne was one of the Canadian delegates representing the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada Limited (CAPAC) at the Confédération internationale de sociétés d'auteurs et de compositeurs (CISAC) conference.  This took place in Washington D.C. at the Library of Congress from October 21 to 26, 1946.

Letter from Henry T. Jamieson, president of the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association Limited.
October 11, 1946.

Letter from Henry T. Jamieson to Omer Côté, provincial secretary, Quebec.
October 11, 1946.

First page of the report on the conference written by Claude Champagne.
1946.

First page of the report (in English) on the conference.
Autograph manuscript.  [1946].

In September of 1948, Claude Champagne attends, as representative of Canada, the International Conference of Folklore held in Basel, Switzerland.  This event was organized by the International Folk Music Council.

Letter from Jean Bruchési, provincial secretary, Quebec.
August 24, 1948.

Letter to Maud Karpeles, secretary of the International Folk Music Council.
August 31, 1948.

In 1949, Claude Champagne is "appointed to the newly created post of Editor-in-Chief of BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) Canada Limited, music publishers and performing rights organization of the Canadian radio industry.  The firm is affiliated with Broadcast Music Inc. in the U.S. and is jointly directed by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ... In assuming his additional post at BMI Canada Limited, Mr. Champagne plans to extend the scope of Canadian composers through broad publication policies and performances of their works in concerts and by radio.  It is his ultimate goal to develop the talents of Canadian composers more fully and to have their works performed not only within Canada but in other countries as well."

Letter from Carl Haverlin, president of Broadcast Music Inc. and BMI Canada Limited.
July 26, 1949.

Page of comments by Claude Champagne on manuscripts submitted to BMI Canada Limited (Montreal series).  n.d.

Page of comments by Claude Champagne on manuscripts submitted to BMI Canada Limited (Toronto series).  n.d.

Claude Champagne is named Canadian chairman of the committee on selections for the concert Canadian Music at Carnegie Hall, held in New York on October 16, 1953.  This concert was the first of its kind.  Other members of the committee include:  Sir Ernest MacMillan, Edward Johnson, Wilfrid Pelletier, Walter Piston, Boyd Neel, William Schuman, Roy Harris and Henry Cowell.

Press release from BMI Canada Limited. June 27, 1953.

Letter from American composer Henry Cowell (1897-1965).
August 1, 1953.

Comments by Claude Champagne on some chamber music compositions submitted for the all-Canadian music concert at Carnegie Hall. Autograph manuscript, [1953].

Carl Haverlin, president of Broadcast Music Inc. and BMI Canada Limited (left) and Claude Champagne.
[October 16, 1953], photographer:  Harold Stein.

Pages from the report by BMI Canada Limited on the concert of Canadian music at Carnegie Hall. 1953.

The composers and soloists (from left to right): François Morel, Colin McPhee, the violinist Noël Brunet, the soprano Lois Marshall, Godfrey Ridout, Claude Champagne, Pierre Mercure and Alexander Brott.
[October 16, 1953], photographer:  Harold Stein.

Letter from Carl Haverlin, president of Broadcast Music Inc. and BMI Canada Limited.
November 11, 1953.

Claude Champagne served as one of the judges in the Student Composers Radio Awards from its founding in 1951 by Broadcast Music Inc. until his death.  The purpose of this project was to have music educators, practicing composers and Broadcast Music Inc. combine their resources and facilities to encourage the creation of concert music by student composers.