Henry Masquilier was married to Élise Marie Thiriez and sometimes added her maiden name to his name. Although nothing is known about his musical background, it has been confirmed that he conducted the cantata “Ludus for Patria” in 1900 on the occasion of the final of the Challenge international du Nord, an international football tournament that was held in Northern France until World War I. At the time, Masquilier was the president of the Sporting Club Tourquennois and director of general store in Tourcoing. The chorus of the cantata is conveyed as follows: “Honor to you intrepid athletes, girded with laurels, so worthily conquered! Let us sing the heroes of our feasts, and glory to our valiant friends! International Challenge of the North.” Obviously, neither the text nor the music came from Masquilier. A piano score of the “cantata for choir with four men’s voices accompanied by brass band or orchestra” that was published in 1899 says that the text was written by Jules Pierre Joseph Rosoor (14 April 1852–22 April 1923) and the music composed by Jehan Roland (probably from Switzerland). But it also bears a dedication to Monsieur Henry Masquilier Fils.
France