Fauré came from the south of France. He was born into a large family and was sent to live with a foster-nurse for four years. When he was quite small he often played the harmonium at the small chapel attached to the school where his father was director. A blind lady heard him and told his father that he ought to send him to a good music school. His father did not want to at first, but when the boy was nine he was sent to study at the École Niedermeyer in Paris. This was a school which trained young people to become church organists and choir directors. He spent eleven years there and had a good musical education. One of his teachers was the great composer Camille Saint-Saëns.