Maurice Duhamel, whose real name was Maurice Bourgeaux (1884-1940), was a musician and Breton politician. A Breton activist, he learnt the Breton language and took part in Breton life. Interested in Breton history, in 1939 he published the first volume of a history of the Breton people but died before finishing the second volume.
It was thanks to a meeting with Louis Tiercelin that he launched into a career as composer and wrote mainly for piano and voice. He was also interested in gathering music (in Brittany and elsewhere) and made use of the new possibilities that radio offered. An expert in melody and inspired by traditional Breton music, he harmonised several hymns. His most important work was undoubtedly 'Musique Bretonne' in 1913. In this volume, Duhamel's goal was to pass on the ' tunes and melodious variations of popular songs and hymns from Basse-Bretagne published by F.M. Luzel et A.Le Braz'. Together with Loeiz Herrieu he also undertook to write down the music of the 'Gwerzenneu ha sonnenneu Bro Gwened' (popular songs from the Vannes region).
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