He was a playwright, poet, art critic and journalist born Leon Emile Petitdidier in Paris, France, who would use the pseudonym Emile Blemont.
As a playwright he is known for his Moliere with Auteuil, Robin and Marion and the Maidservant of Moliere and as a poet he published the works Poems of Italy and Poems of China among others and was a founder of La Maison de Poesie (House of Poetry).
He will be internationally remembered for the words to the Christmas carol “Un Flambeau, Jeanette, Isabella” also known as “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella” which he wrote in 1901.
In 1929 a street in Paris was named after him following his death in 1927 at age 87/8.
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella recordings
Leroy Anderson & His Orchestra
Decca B0003552-02 (CD: A Leroy Anderson Christmas)
Deborah Henson-Conant
Golden Cage (CD: The Gift)
Harp– Deborah Henson-Conant
Mannheim Steamroller
American Gramaphone Records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Robert Shaw Chorale
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
Sources:
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Bl%C3%A9mont
- http://www.thecityreview.com/s00imps1.html
- http://www.v1.paris.fr/Carto/Nomenclature_maj/3246.nom.htm
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/%C3mile-bl%C3%A9mont-mn0002248054
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/1612596-Emile-Bl%C3%A9mont
- http://66.218.71.231/language/translation/translatedPage.php?tt=url&text=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chronologievictor-hugo.com%2Fqui%2Fcorpquisontilsb_3.htm&lp=fr_en&.intl=us&fr=slv8-msgr