Noel Regney

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Noel Regney (1922 - November 22, 2002), WWII veteran and songwriter, composed the Christmas standard "Do You Hear What I Hear?" with his then-wife Gloria Shayne Baker in 1962.^[1] Originally from Alsace, France, he moved to New York City and then eventually Connecticut where he lived out the remainder of his life. He is survived by his three children, Paul, Gabrielle, Matthieu, his wife Dominique.

He was born Leon Schlienger, on August 19, 1922 in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. Leon Schlienger, written backwards= Noel Regnei (-lhcS. dropping "lhcS"replacing i by y)= Noel Regney. He grew up Catholic. He was drafted into the Nazi army despite being a Frenchman. As an Alsatian, he spoke German as fluently as French. It is said that he soon deserted, joined a group of French Resistance fighters, and became a double agent working for the French. He led a party of Nazis into an ambush, was shot in the arm, but survived. Eventually, while touring the USA, accompanying Lucienne Boyer, contemporary of Edith Piaf, he met his first wife pianist /composer Gloria Shayne with whom in 1963, he composed the famous Christmas song" Do You Hear What I Hear".

In addition to "Do You Hear What I Hear?", Regney and Shayne composed "Rain, Rain, Go Away," "Sweet Little Darlin'," "Goodbye, Cruel World" (Recorded by James Darren Peak in 1961) and "What's The Use Of Crying." He wrote the English lyrics for The Singing Nun (Soeur Sourire)" famous song: "Dominique", the very name of his second wife Dominique Gillain. Together they had a son Matthieu born 1982". Regney wrote the Book and Music for a Musical Biography of French writer "Colette" as well as other musicals: "Merrimount", " Landsake".

Noel died November 22, 2002, in Brewster, New York, of complications from Pick's disease.

Knew composers Darius Milhaud and Arthur Honegger; studied with Olivier Messian; may have studied with Honegger. Worked at the Lido, in Paris; was an accompanist of Lucienne Boyer.