Maurice Duruflé (French: [dyʁyfle]; 11 January 1902 – 16 June 1986) was a French composer, organist, and teacher.
Duruflé was born in Louviers, Eure in 1902. He became chorister at the Rouen Cathedral Choir School, where he studied piano and organ with Jules Haelling. At age 17, upon moving to Paris, he took private organ lessons with Charles Tournemire, whom he assisted at Basilique Ste-Clotilde, Paris until 1927. In 1920 Duruflé entered the Conservatoire de Paris, eventually graduating with first prizes in organ, harmony, piano accompaniment, and composition. His harmony professor was Jean Gallon.
In 1927, Louis Vierne nominated him as his assistant at Notre-Dame. Duruflé and Vierne remained lifelong friends, and Duruflé was at Vierne's side acting as assistant when Vierne died at the console of the Notre-Dame organ on June 2, 1937, even though Duruflé had become titular organist of St-Étienne-du-Mont in Paris in 1929, a position he held for the rest of his life. In 1936, he won the Prix Blumenthal. In 1939, he premiered Francis Poulenc's Organ Concerto (the Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani in G minor); he had advised Poulenc on the registrations of the organ part. In 1943 he became Professor of Harmony at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he worked until 1970.
Boldness escapes me
Cowardice seems so easy
If only I could be more like the one I see
I've failed you I've lied to you
Yet you forgive and let me live
Oh God help my weakness
Oh give me your strength
Father help me
I'll go to any length
On my face, on my chest, on my knees
God help me please
My spirit is willing but my flesh is weak
I've got these beats raging through my head
And someday soon this body of mind will be dead
No more crying or laying on no death beds
No more tears or fists across my head
Only escape from hate and ill fate
Bringing me down
Making me look like some kind of clown
Receive my crown, lay it at Christ's feet
Only then do I get my DHD
My devil hating degree
My courage growing, the wicked I'm throwing
Disgust for hate ever showing