Hollain (de), Denis (circa 1455-11 Aug. 1503). Composer; Musician; Singer

5e enfant de chœur de la liste non datée Pirro1926, p.190. En 1470-71, il est choriste surnuméraire. Il est dit d’Escaudœuvre. Wright1976, p.215: Maître des enfants de 1485 à 1503. ADN: éxéc. de son décès en 1503 par Jean Leporis, Jean de Le Quellerie, chanoines (?) et Nicaise Bourdin, grand vicaire. Il est nommé le 3.11.1503, alors qu’il est Me des enfants à St Géry.

Planchart : Denis de Hollain (de Sanctoro): documented as a chorister in 1470-71 [LAN, 4G 7765 (1470-71), 22v], and as a former chorister in 1480-82 [LAN, 4G 7766 (1480-81), 15v; (1481-82), 16r]. He was a small vicar from 27 June 1482 to 23 September 1483, and from 09 November 1485 to 23 June 1490 [LAN, 4G 7472 (1482-83), 9r; 4G 7473, 8v; 4G 7472 (1485-86), 7v], his final departure is not recorded per se; he simply is not named in the opening list for 1490-91. On 03 November 1485 the chapter asked him to become magister puerorum, and the entry explains his activity during the gap in his service as a small vicar, for it indicates that at the time he was the magister puerorum at St. Géry [CBM 1061, 238v]. The wine accounts never give his last name, but the two surviving accounts of the small vicars that coincide with his service do [LAN, 4G 6791 (1486-87), 4r; (1487-88), 4r]. His beneficial career at Cambrai is unusual: the record is entirely silent until 30 October 1489, when he was made a grand vicar on the death of Adam Malart [CBM 1061, 347r]. At the time he chose to continue singing with the small vicars to the end of that fiscal year. On 15 February 1503 he was made a canon by collation of the chapter on the death of Pierre Callone [CBM 1064, 437r]. Two days later he resigned the only other recorded benefice we have for him, the parish church of Graucourt, and the canons promptly returned it to him [CBM 1064, 438V]. Probably he stopped being the magister puerorum around this time, for on 03 April Louis van Pullaer was appointed to that post [CBM 1064, 448r]. He died on 08 November 1503; his will and its execution survive [LAN, 4G 1371]. His brother Henri was an advocate at the court of Cambrai in 1497 [CBM 1063, 249v, 259r], and Paul de Hollain, received as small vicar on 15 November 1503 might be another relative [CBM 423v]. (check St. Géry)

Trois chansons de “Holain’ figurent dans le ms Flor Basevi 2442: “Nous irons planter le may”, “Par nuyt a la lune’, ‘Laissiez moy aller’.