 He may have been organist at the Rouen Cathedral until December 1524, when a certain "Jacques Brunel" left the post.From 1532 until 1564 a "Brunel", probably the same person, worked as organist at the Este chapel in Ferrara, where in 1547–1558 he served under the famous composer Cipriano de Rore.Between 1543 and 1559 Brunel received money for the keep of a horse, which he needed to travel to oversee the Este chapels at Modena and Reggio nell'Emilia.