Hervé Roullet

Biography

Roullet was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris, on 7 September 1947. He is an engineer from the École supérieure d'agriculture d'Angers and he graduated from IAE Paris (also known as Sorbonne Graduate Business School).

He spent his professional career in the Parisian headquarters of various banking groups. He is also a composer of piano music and liturgical chants and Christian writer.

Musical works

Roullet was taught by Henry Mesmin, a disciple of Vincent d'Indy and Déodat de Séverac. He is of the romantic tradition, with modern characteristics.

The writer and music critic Jean Cabourg defined him as a "musical watercolor artist haunted by grace " and added "a music which smells good, to quote Claude Debussy". His music, which is intimate and melodious, expresses a personal and original language. He pays homage to the beauty of creation, and appears to aim for an ideal which will give peace of mind and change of scenery.

The Pieces for piano are in two volumes : the Croquis champêtres et the Voyages oniriques.

Patrick Tudoret, the 2009 Grand prix de la Critique littéraire laureate, establishes a relationship between Jean Cras's works and those of Hervé Roullet: "[…] the complicity of a dreamed time between Jean Cras and the contemporary sensibility of Hervé Roullet impose upon the sober and haughty touch of Jean Dubé (musician). Deux impromptus and Ames d'enfants with Xavier Bouchaud, of the first one, find singular correspondences in the Croquis champêtres and the Voyages oniriques of the second"

The liturgical works are chants for mixed chorus, a cappella, or with piano or organ accompaniment. All the parts form a triptych: chants for the Mass (liturgy), Marian chants and other liturgical chants. The used texts find their source in the Bible, the Roman Catholic liturgy, the Fathers of the Church or saints.

Among liturgical chants: Ave Verum Corpus, Tantum ergo, Our Father, Anima Christi, Divine Praises, ...

Among chants of Marian devotion: Ave Maria, Ave Maris Stella, Salve Regina, Ave Regina caelorum, Regina caeli,...

Literary works

Roullet followed theological studies during 1995-2003, in Paris. He received a Master of theology from the Institut Catholique de Paris, specialization in ecumenism, on October 17, 2003

He is the author of ten books related to Christianity. Seven have received the Imprimatur of the Archbishop of Paris:

Discography

Piano :

Chants for mixed chorus : Liturgical works were performed for the first time in the Saint-Louis-en-l'Île church of Paris in 2012-2013, by the vocal Ensemble Via Lucis accompanied on the organ by Jean Galard. Those chants were recorded on two CDs :

Edith Weber, Professor Emeritus at the Sorbonne, UFR of Music and Musicology, wrote in the magazine L'éducation musicale : "These two records show that according to the perspectives opened by the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) , liturgical songs in French are in full swing".