Mathé

Mathé

Mathé family. Ottawa family of musicians, maternal-line descendants of Emmanuel Blain de St-Aubin. Napoléon Magloire Mathé (b Ottawa 1863, d there 1937) was a civil servant, writer, and choir leader for 20 years at Notre-Dame Basilica. His wife, Marie (b Quebec City 1868, d Ottawa 1940, a daughter of Emmanuel Blain de St-Aubin), was a pianist, accompanist, singer, and chamber musician.

Napoléon and Marie Mathé had four sons - Paul, Charles, Blain, and Jean-Marie - and a daughter Aline. Paul (b Ottawa 1896, d there 1941) was a violinist who played in recital and ca 1918-25 in the Chateau Laurier Orchestra, and also a violin teacher. Charles (Eugène) (b Ottawa 1897, d Toronto 17 Jun 1980) was a pupil of J.-B. Dubois in Montreal, cellist 1920-2 with the Cincinnati SO and 1938-57 with the TSO, and a member for 25 years of various CBC orchestras. Blain (de St Aubin) (b Ottawa 14 Feb 1907, d Toronto 9 Dec 1967) was a pupil of Donald Heins, violinist 1932-40, 1959-60 and principal second violin 1962-5 with the TSO, and a member 1937-59 of the Happy Gang. Jean-Marie (b Ottawa 4 Aug 1913) was a founding member of the Palestrina Choir, the founder and a member of the male voice choir les Poètes de la chanson from its inception in 1947 to its demise in 1972, the choir leader at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Ottawa, ca 1960-9 and at Notre-Dame de Lourdes, Vanier, Ont, 1969-75. Their sister Aline (b Ottawa Oct 1901) was a mezzo-soprano, choral accompanist, and pianist.