François-Auguste Gevaert

His father was a baker, and he was intended for the same profession, but better counsels prevailed and he was permitted to study music.

Soon Gevaert's compositions attracted attention, and he won the Belgian Prix de Rome which entitled him to two years' travel.

In that role, he "exerted a far-reaching influence through his historical concerts, producing works of all nations and periods.

Though during his lifetime Gevaert's own music enjoyed considerable success in Belgium (it included no fewer than a dozen operas, including Quentin Durward and Le Capitaine Henriot), it is now forgotten, save for some of his choral pieces, which have recently been issued on CD by the Fuga Libera label.

His many prose writings include a Treatise on Instrumentation (still sometimes used today), a book on harmony, and a Vade Mecum for organists.