Lili Boulanger
Lili was a French composer born in Paris in 1893, deceased on 1918 at the young age of 24. She was the first female winner of the Prix de Rome composition prize. Boulanger's talent was apparent at the age of two, when Gabriel Fauré, a friend of the family and later one of Boulanger's teachers, discovered she had perfect pitch. Her parents, both of whom were musicians, encouraged their daughter's musical education. Boulanger accompanied her ten-year-old sister Nadia to classes at the Paris Conservatoire before she was five, shortly thereafter sitting in on classes on music theoryand studying organ with Louis Vierne. She also sang and played piano, violin, cello and harp. In 1912 Boulanger competed in the Prix de Rome but during her performance she collapsed from illness. She returned in 1913 at the age of 19 to win the composition prize for her Faust et Hélène.
Works for wind ensemble:
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Psalm 24 (1916)
Boulanger composed three psalm settings: Psalms 24, 129 and 130. She composed Psalm 24, entitled La terre appartient à l’Eternel in 1916 while she was resident in Rome. The work is dedicated to Monsieur Jules Griset, who was the director of Choral Guillot de Saint-Brice. Durand published the work in 1924. The work is scored for choir (consisting of soprano, alto, tenor and bass), accompanied by organ and brass ensemble (consisting of 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 4 trombones, 1 tuba), timpani and 2 harps.[1]
