Variations sur le Thème du Pange Lingua (1999)

This work presents the melody of the venerable early hymn attributed to St. Thomas of Aquinas (c. 1263), including the well-known verse of Tantum Ergo, in six short contrasting frescos. Like many of Leclerc’s works, one denotes an improvisational feel to the music by its free and impressionistic writing, particularly in the final variations which takes up elements of the 20th-century-style French Toccata. The work is dedicated to Sylvain Barrette who commissioned and premiered it in 1999 at Saint-François d’Assise Church in Ottawa, Canada. The composer later recorded the Variations on his first CD, “Gilles Maurice Leclerc: Oeuvres pour Orgue/Organ Works, Volume I” (GML-2005) at Saint-François d’Assise Church where he was organist for many years.

Duration: 12mins
Available from: Les Éditions Musicales Lucarel
Price: £10.00

Listen to Rachel Laurin performing Variations sur le thème du Pange Lingua on 16th October 2007 at St Lawrence Jewry London

Biographical note

Gilles Maurice Leclerc was born in Ottawa, Canada. He graduated from the University of Ottawa with a B.Mus in Composition in 1985 and a M.Mus in Musicology in 1992.

A recipient of the Jean-Marie Beaudet Scholarship in Composition and a winner during the 1986 PRO competition for young composers, Mr. Leclerc's music has been performed at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, on the CBC and Radio-Canada (namely Élan (1984), Variation sur un thème de Beethoven (1998), Pièce pour cordes (1999) and Ballade pour hautbois et cordes (2006). Earlier this year, the Seventeen Voyces choir premiered his setting on Ave verum and other choral works have also been performed at the Hull Festival of Sacred Music in 2000. He premiered his Tryptic on the Choral Num Komm der Heiden Heilland in 2000 at Marie-Reine-du-Monde Cathedral in Montreal and his Veni Creator in Iberville in 2004.

Gilles Leclerc's liturgical music comprises settings of the Mass in both French and English, psalms and hymns which are available from Lucarel, Laudem, Novalis or the Royal Canadian College of Organists. He has also composed for voice, piano and string orchestra. Gilles Leclerc has contributed music for the Canadian Catholic Book of Worship III, the new Canadian French R.C. hymn book D'une même voix, and has written articles for various music journals (Laudem, Organ Canada, Communauté chrétienne).

In October 2007 he was present for the British premiere of his Variations on the theme of Pange Lingua which was performed by Canadian organist Rachel Laurin during the London segment of the second AFNOM.

Gilles Leclerc has released volume I of his organ works which were recorded at Saint-François d'Assise church in Ottawa, where, for most of his career, since 1977, he has been associated and where he oversaw the installation of a new Guilbault-Thérien organ in 1988.

He is currently second national vice-president of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.