1676 was a banner year for Marais. In September at the age of 20, he was married to Catherine Damicourt, a Parisian from the Saint Etienne du Mont neighborhood. It is interesting to speculate that during their courtship Marais may have heard the bells of a church on the local hill at Saint Genevieve du Mont and been inspired years later to compose his Sonnerie de Saint Geneviève du Mont. These years also marked his engagement as a musician for Lully’s opera Atys. It is possible that Marais’ entry into the circles of court musicians may have come through an acquaintance from his Saint Germain l’Auxerrois days, a composer named Jean Francois Lallouette who had become batteur de mesure, or conductor, of the king’s orchestra. Being in the sphere of Lully, the most influential musician in Europe at that time, was a great opportunity for the young musician.