Glenmor was the stage name of Emile Le Scanf (1931–1996), a Breton protest singer who sought to preserve the

Breton language Breton (, ; or in Morbihan) is a Southwestern Brittonic language, Southwestern Brittonic languages, Brittonic language of the Celtic languages, Celtic language family spoken in Brittany, part of modern-day France. It is the only Celtic languag ...

and adapt local traditions of folk singing to the radical culture of the 1960s and 70s. He is also known by the Breton name Milig Ar Skañv.

Early career

Emile Le Scanf was born in 1931 at Mael-Carhaix. In 1941, he entered the small seminary in Quintin. After his military service in Paris, he obtained a ''licence de philosophie'' at Rennes in 1952. He then travelled extensively in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Soviet Union until 1954. During this period he began writing and composing. His musical career really began in 1959 with a recital in Paris before a small audience.John Thomas Koch (ed), ''Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia'', Clio, 2006, pp.78-9 He later released his first album as "Glenmor", ''Glenmor à la Mutualité''. His stage name was derived from words for land (glen) and sea (mor) in Breton. His distinctive style led to popularity. His songs aggressively asserted the unique cultural identity of Brittany. He portrayed himself as a political radical with

anti-clerical Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...

and

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessar ...

views. He wore a beard and his hair long, in a revival of the traditional Breton peasant style.

Activism

Actively engaged in Breton nationalism, Glenmor wrote the song ''le Kan bale lu poblek Breizh'', later renamed ''Kan bale an ARB'', which was the marching song of the ARB (Armée Révolutionnaire Bretonne; Breton Revolutionary Army). In June 1979, he participated in a hunger strike to protest against the detention of a Breton activist arrested following an attack against the

Chateau of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

. With his friends Alain Guel and

Xavier Grall Xavier Grall (1930–1981) was a journalist and poet from Brittany, France, who was a strong advocate of Breton nationalism during the Third Emsav. His work glorifies a mystical Brittany. Early career Xavier Grall was born in Landivisiau in F ...

, he helped found the publishing house "Kelenn", where in 1968 he published ''Le Livre des Chansons''. A few years later Grall published ''Barde imaginé'' and ''La fête de la nuit'' (1972), works in which Glenmor is the main character, in the fictionalised form of the bard "Arzel". In the early 1970s he, Grall and Guel founded the newspaper ''la Nation bretonne'', which was influential on the Breton intellectual elite. In 1977, he appeared in

Pierre Perrault Pierre Perrault (29 June 1927 – 24 June 1999) was a Québécois documentary film director. He directed 20 films between 1963 and 1996. He was one of the most important filmmakers in Canada, although largely unknown outside of Québec. In ...

's film ''C'etait un Québécois en Bretagne, madame!'' along with fellow Breton nationalist

Meavenn Meavenn (1911–1992) was the pen name of Francine Rozec, also known as Fant Rozec, a Breton language poet, novelist and playwright linked to Breton nationalism. Early life and education She was born in Saint Marc, then a village, which is now mer ...

. Both are portrayed as "poets of dispossession, the voices of a despairing national identity." Glenmor describes himself in the film as an "oral journalist with opinions".David Clandfield, ''Pierre Perrault and the poetic documentary'', Toronto International Film Festival Group, Indiana University Press, 2004, p.12. In 1978, he was designated "Breton of the Year" by

Armor Magazine ''ARMOR'' is the professional journal of the U.S. Army’s Armor Branch, published by the Chief of Armor at Fort Benning, Georgia, training center for the Army's tank and cavalry forces (United States Army Armor School). ''ARMOR'' magazine is the ...

. In 1990 he retired from performance to devote himself to writing. He was decorated with the Order of the Ermine in 1990. He died six years later on June 18, 1996. Several thousand people attended his funeral in Mael-Carhaix . The tomb is inscribed with the words, "''Émile LE SCANV (1931-1996) Et voici bien ma terre, la vallée de mes amours. Glenmor''".

Discography

* GLENMOR single * Quatre Chansons en Breton single Ed.

Sked Sked is shortened version of the word ''schedule''. It can refer to a flight schedule, a baseball schedule, or any other type of schedule. In the context of amateur radio a sked is a pre-arranged oscheduled contactbetween ham radio operators. In ...

* GLENMOR single Ed. Kornog * KATTELL dit GLENMOR : Poèmes album Ed. Ternel * KATTELL dit GLENMOR : Poèmes album Ed. Ternel * GLENMOR A LA MUTUALITE album Ed. Ternel * Cinq Chansons en Breton single Ed. Barclay * Les Temps de la Colère single Ed. Barclay * CET AMOUR-LA album Ed. Barclay * HOMMAGE A MORVAN LEBESQUE album * VIVRE album Ed. Le Chant du Monde LDX 74481 * PRINCES ENTENDEZ BIEN album Ed. Le Chant du Monde LDX 74503 * OUVREZ LES PORTES DE LA NUIT album Ed. le Chant du Monde * E DIBENN MIZ GWENGOLO album Ed. Le Chant du Monde * TOUS CES VINGT ANS DEJA... album Ed. Le Chant du Monde * La Coupe et la Mémoire album Ed.

Ar Folk AR, Ar, or A&R may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Artists and repertoire Periodicals * '' Absolute Return + Alpha'', a hedge fund publication *''The Adelaide Review'', an Australian arts magazine * ''American Renaissance'' ...

* TRISTAN CORBIERE : Le Paria dit par Glenmor album Ed. Ar Folk * Si tu ne chantais pas pour eux à quoi bon demeurer album Ed.

Stern Ha Lugern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Orig ...

* Après la Fleur le Fruit sous la Rose l'Épine album Ed. Escalibur * EN BRETAGNE, NOCES ET FEST-NOZ album Ed. Barclay * LES PRINCIPALES OEUVRES CD Prod. Ar Folk, Escalibur,

Coop Breizh Coop Breizh is a Breton cultural company founded in 1957 by Kendalc'h confederation, based in Spézet, Brittany, France. Specialized in the production, the publishing and the literary and musical distribution, it propose articles related to Bret ...

* AN DISTRO "Et voici bien ma Terre..." CD Ed. Coop Breizh * AN DISTRO "Ouvrez les Portes de la Nuits" CD Ed. Coop Breizh * AN DISTRO "Apocaplypse" CD Ed. Coop Breizh * HOMMAGE A GLENMOR CD Coop Breizh CD KAD 01 (2000)

Writings

* ''Livre des Chansons (Mutualité 67)'', éd. Kelenn, 1969, second edition, Stern ha Lugern, 1979 * ''Livre des Chansons, tome II (Bobino 73)'', éd. Ternel * ''Sables et Dunes'', éd. Ternel, 1971 * ''La Septième Mort'', éd. Ternel, 1974, second edition, Libres Halliers, 1982 * ''Le Sang nomade'', éd. Ternel, 1975 * ''Les emblaves et la moisson'', éd. Stern ha Lugern, 1977 * ''Retraites paysannes'', with typography and wood engravings by Claude Huart, éd. Ternel, 1977 * ''L'Homme du dernier jour'', La Gacilly, éd. Artus, 1992 * ''Les Derniers Feux de la Vallée'', Spézet, éd.

, 1995 * ''La Sanguine'', Spézet, éd. Coop Breizh, 1996 * ''La Férule'', Spézet, éd. Coop Breizh, 1997 * ''

in memoriam'', Babel, 2000 * ''Kan ha diskan'', Correspondences Grall-Glenmor, Spézet, Coop Breizh, 2007

Notes

{{Authority control 1931 births 1996 deaths Breton musicians Breton-language poets Breton-language singers French male singer-songwriters Breton nationalists University of Rennes alumni 20th-century French male singers