Musician clerics in France at the end of the 18th century

Of the varied groups of musicians engaged in the service of places of worship this study focuses on the group of clergy-musicians, whether or not they had reached the rank of priest; all in all, this group includes about a hundred people at the time of the Revolution. It seemed pertinent to devote a particular study to a category of men who combined their status as clerics and their ability in the art of music. Our aim was mainly to consider the articulation between a particular status (belonging to the church) and a specific function (being a musician). This study of the character of the clergy-musician highlights it few of its characteristics, starting with features common to the whole of this socio-professional category. Thus, we observe the frequency of long-lasting services to the institution, for example musicians first employed by the church as altar boys. We also notice that many virtuosos did not hesitate to travel, sometimes long distances, to find more attractive or more prestigious occupation. In contrast, it appears that clergy mainly held the function of choir-direction as masters of music. The canons of ecclesiastic institutions apparently preferred to entrust such tasks to one of their number. Moreover, the almost complete absence of instrumentalists amongst the ranks of clergy-musicians, except for organists, shows that the use of instruments, as employed in secular situations, was not approved by a clergy then very much aware of its condition.