DELA, MAURICE, 1919-1978
MUS 161

Maurice Dela fonds.  - 1920-1979.  - 1.35 m of textual records.  - 49 photographs.  - 6 negatives.  - 36 audio discs.  - 74 audio tape reels. 

Biographical sketch
Born in Montréal, Quebec in 1919, Maurice Dela (pseudonym of Albert Phaneuf) studied and worked in that city as a musician.  From 1951 to 1965, he was an arranger and composer for the CBC (L'Heure du concert, Sérénade pour cordes. . . ).  He was director of music instruction at André-Laurendeau High School (1965-78) and professor of orchestration at the Université du Québec à Montréal (1973-78).  Dela was also organist at the Church of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs in Verdun.  His works are written for orchestra or band, chamber ensembles and for choir or voice.  His Sonatine for violin and piano has been performed in Canada and Europe, and his Scherzo was performed by the Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica conducted by Carlos Vargos, in 1970. 

Scope and content
The fonds contains records pertaining to the musical activities of Maurice Dela:  awards and diplomas; biographical documents; correspondence; works as a student at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal; compositions and musical arrangements for orchestra, chamber music, keyboard, choral music and other vocal music; catalogues of works and arrangements; teaching material (college and university); texts of lectures, programme notes, published articles and other writing; criticism and other writings on Dela; annotated printed scores and manuscript copies of works by other composers; contracts; concert programmes; press clippings; photographs and negatives, mainly of family members; sound recordings consisting principally of works and arrangements by Maurice Dela. 

Immediate source of acquisition:  acquired from José Tenenbaum and Renée Phaneuf-Tenenbaum, in 1984, 1985 and 1986. 

Restrictions:  none. 

Finding aids:  inventory; provisional description.