Biography
Deiss entered the Congregation of the Holy Ghost in 1942, and was ordained a priest in 1943, both during World War II. He also studied at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome. Passionate about the Bible and liturgy, for a year he was professor of Holy Scripture at the newly established major seminary of Brazzaville, Congo. Returning to France for health reasons in 1948, he spent decades as a professor and a retiree at the seminary of Chevilly-Larue, which later renamed its library in his honor. [2] [3] [4]
Deiss composed over 400 pieces of liturgical music, many inspired by Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony with biblical texts. [2] He once described the impetus for his composing career, starting at a small suburban parish in the 1950s: "I realized that the people knew almost nothing of the Bible, so I decided to try using music to help them memorize the more important texts." [1]
Beyond France, some of his works were widely translated and sold over 5 million copies. [2] His Biblical Hymns and Psalms (1965) was one of the first major collections of new music for English-language Masses, responding to the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council in which he participated, and earning him an honorary Doctorate in Sacred Music from his congregation's Duquesne University. [5] [6] The National Association of Pastoral Musicians named him "Pastoral Musician of the Year" for United States Catholics in 1992. [7] He received a Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros for the 2005 album Ave Maria that he recorded with his Chevilly seminary choir. [8]
