Johannes [Jean] Mont {Paul III-Gregory XIII}
Tenor; Liége [Aix-la-Chapelle]; in the Cathedral of Cambrai, 1520- 1538 ; admitted by unanimous vote on 4 August 1539 ; mandati : August 1539 -September 1565 ; sent to the Council of Trent, 1546 , and to the Council sessions in Bologna, 1548 ; he probably died in December 1582 or January 1583 ; punctator in 1540 .
Mont seems to have been one of the better singers in the choir--at least he is often among small groups of singers sent to perform in other churches, and also at the first sessions of the Council of Trent. But in 1565 , after 26 years of service, Mont's usefulness to the choir had greatly diminished. The notes for the commission of cardinals acknowledged that he had been a good singer and had led an exemplary life, but added that he was now deaf and had lost his voice ["M. Joan de monte ha servito sempre la capella con bona voce et è stato exemplatto di vita et costumi ma hore gli è mancato la voce"--Document 1.15; "pauper sed surdus et bonus"--Document 1.16] and removed him from the choir, assigning him a pension of seven ducats (high because he had been admitted by audition; in fact, this was the highest pension). He remains in the lists among the "second class" singers from October 1565 --December 1582 . There does not seem to be any evidence to support the contention of Baini and others that Mont was a composer (they seem to have confused him with Johannes de Monte, the teacher of Ramos de Pereja, or even with Philippe de Monte).
DOCUMENTS
DS 1
105v: entry dated 4 August 1539 [CASIMIRI (1926), p. 257]
Et post missam R.dus magister capelle convocavit omnes cantores et petiit votum et juditium ab omnibus utrum Jo. Mont est suffitiens ad accipiendum ipsum pro tenore capelle. Et nemine discrepante omnes dixerunt seperatim quod est suffitiens et meretur locum capelle, propter quod magister capelle ordinavit quod sibi diceretur quod veniret crastina die cum cotta et admittetur in cantorem.
106r: entry dated 5 August 1539 [CASIMIRI (1926), p. 257]
Eodem die reverendus dominus Bartholomeus Croto, magister capelle admisit Joannes Mont, Leodiensis diocesis in numero cantorum, et induit eum cotta, et accepit ab ipso juramentum observare etc. ut moris est, presentibus cantoribus et osculatus est etc.
106r: entry dated 8 August 1539 [CASIMIRI (1926), p. 257]
Hodie soluit sua regalia dominus Joannes Mont.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: CELANI, p. 100; CASIMIRI ; FREY, Die Diarien, p. 133; VANDER-STRAETEN , Edmond. La Musique aux Pays-Bas , vol. VI (Brussels, 1882, r. Dover, 1969), pp. 405-408; WRIGHT, Craig. " Musiciens à la Cathédrale de Cambrai 1475- 1550." Revue de Musicologie 62 (1976): 204-228.