Born in Peseux (Neuchâtel), Samuel Ducommun (1914-1987), a composer from Neuchâtel, studied organ first with Louis Kelterborn then Charles Faller, harmony with Charles Humbert, counterpoint and composition with Paul Benner. He later became a disciple of Marcel Dupré. Organist from 1934 in Corcelles (NE), then at the Stadtkirche in Biel, he moved to Neuchâtel in 1942 where he became organist at the Collegiate Church, singing teacher in schools, piano teacher at the Cantonal High School, and head of organ, harmony, analysis, counterpoint and composition classes at the Music Conservatory. As a concert artist, Samuel Ducommun performed in many cities in Switzerland, France and Germany. In addition to the classical and romantic repertoire, his programmes widely featured the music of the 20th century, which he championed.

As a composer from his teenage years, he produced a considerable body of work in which the organ is of course favoured, either alone or accompanying the voice or various instruments. Several religious and secular cantatas, symphonic or concertante works, and numerous chamber music scores involving various instrumental formations complete the catalogue of his works. The style and spirit of his compositions are of French inspiration, their architecture often calling upon classical forms (fugue, passacaglia, sonata form, for example). Loyal to tonal music, sometimes of modal expression, Samuel Ducommun employs polytonality or even atonality without any preconceived theory. He  managed to find his own personal musical language, which neither wants to imitate anyone nor deny his origins.

Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Marc Eigeldinger (1917- 1991) taught French literature at the Higher Business School (Ecole supérieure de commerce) in that town, then at the Cantonal High School and at the University of Neuchâtel (where he was dean of the Faculty of Arts) and at the University of Bern. He was a visiting professor at the University of Moncton (Canada) in 1972, promoted to the rank of Officier de l’Ordre des Palmes académiques (Paris) in 1985, and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Paris X-Nanterre in 1988.He developed an important editorial and critic activity, in particular with the Editions de la Baconnière (Neuchâtel, now Geneva). He published numerous literary and critical studies on Julien Green, Baudelaire, Rousseau, Nerval, Mallarmé and Breton.

His poetic work, which was the subject of numerous prizes, includes eight collections published by the Editions de la Baconnière in the “Cahiers du Rhône” collection.

The poems of the Moisson du Feu (Harvest of Fire) are based on the Apocalypse of St John and are taken from the work Terres vêtues de soleil.

“His poetic work (Poems 1942-1987, 1987), of great mastery of form, questions the world in its simplest things (path, house, tree) and in its mythical or cosmic representations, hence the symbolic and expressive importance of the sun in his verbal creation.” – Swiss Historical Dictionary and National Library, Bern