François Collin (or Colin) de Blamont was born in Versailles in 1690 to musician parents, both ordinaries of the King’s Music. His apprenticeship was entrusted to Lalande, a friend of his father. Like Bernier, he took part in concerts given by the Duchesse du Maine at Sceaux and, from 1709, entered the service of the Court: haute-contre of the Chapelle royale choir, then taille at the Chambre du roi in 1717. Two years later, he took up the post of Superintendant de la Musique de la Chambre du roi, the position held by Lully’s son, alongside Destouches. He wrote for the Académie Royale de Musique and, through his duties, for the court entertainments provided by the weddings and births that marked the beginning of Louis XV’s reign. On Lalande’s death, he and Destouches shared responsibility for the education of the Pages. He also took part in the Concerts de la reine, which Marie Leczynska brought up to date. In 1732, the performance of his Te Deum, often repeated throughout the 18th century, contributed to the quarrel of precedence between the musicians of the Chambre and those of the Chapelle du roi. From 1744, he gradually withdrew from his duties in favor of François Francœur and Bernard de Bury, his godson and protégé. He was still in demand at Court, notably for the Dauphin’s wedding and the Marquise de Pompadour’s performances at her Théâtre des Petits-Appartements. In the 1750s, withdrawn from the Court for health reasons, he again took part in the Querelle des Bouffons. He died in Versailles in 1760, ennobled and decorated with the Cordon de l'Ordre de Saint-Michel by Louis XV.

This volume contains a motet that probably dates from the 1730s. The beautiful anonymous text, Attende anima æterna, is conceived as a dialogue between the soul and its Creator. The motet is sung by a soprano accompanied by two violins and basso continuo, with the addition of a viola part for the lovely "symphonies" that punctuate the work. The instrumentation for each part, left to the performer's discretion, suggests a small instrumental ensemble.