Claude Coffin

Claude Coffin was a French cantor and composer, active in Paris during the first third of the 17th century. Biography Not much is known of his life except his office of cantor of the Chapel of music of the king. In 1625, an act reveals this office and his address in the rue de la Mortellerie. He must have acquired a certain notoriety since in 1636 Marin Mersenne included a fugue of him in his Harmonie universelle and praised the quality of his compositions: “The notes which follow show more clearly what I have just said, and contain a fugue composed by Sieur Coffin, one of the oldest and best disciples of Du Caurroy. This mention tells us also that he was one of the students of Eustache Du Caurroy, a very skilful countrapuntist working for the King’s Chapel. Works Psaulms set in music On an unknown date, Coffin published Psalmes de David, à 3, 4 et 5 voix by . These psalms were most probably written on the translation of Philippe Desportes; The two psalms published for voice and lute in 1617 (see below) were probably part of this corpus. Court and ballet arias A few of his were published in various collections: - Two tunes and two psalms for voice and lute in the “Seventh Book” of