La Chorale des Intrépides

Musician, writer, genealogist and historian, Marius Benoîst was born in Sainte-Anne-des-Chênes on October 1, 1896. He was very young when his family moved to Saint-Boniface where he spent most of his life.

Among his musical compositions are several religious works written for the Saint-Boniface, Cathedral choir where he was choirmaster for 40 years. Some of his orchestral works were performed by the “Sinfonietta de Saint-Boniface”, of which he was the founder and leader for nearly thirty years, and whose annual concerts in Saint-Boniface allowed many Franco-Manitoban musicians to make their first public appearances. He wrote several operas including “La rencontre dans l’escalier”, “Un acte de l’apôtre” and “Onadéga” which were created in Saint-Boniface. “The Legend of the Wind”, an opera based on an Indian legend, was produced by CBC television and won him the Etrog Trophy (now called the Genie Awards) in 1977.

1963 marked the beginning of a long period of collaboration between the “Chorale des Intrépides” and the director of the Sinfoniettta. Together, the two groups presented numerous concerts in which French music was always given pride of place.

His research in genealogy and history has made it possible to better understand the history of Saint-Boniface and its inhabitants. The Saint-Boniface Historical Museum owes its existence to him; he was one of its main architects and its first director.

His interests were not limited to music and history, he also favored literature. A writer in his spare time, he published a historical account entitled “Louison Sansregret, Métis” for which he was awarded the Champlain Prize in 1977 by the “Conseil de la vie française en Amérique”.

Marius Benoîst died in Saint-Boniface on January 13, 1985.