British and French Organ Music Seminars 2013

Christina Harmon resides in Dallas, Texas, where she is organist at Park Cities Baptist Church. She is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Southern Methodist University and has done doctoral study at Union Theological Seminary and the University of North Texas. Her teachers include Robert Anderson, Robert Baker, Dale Peters, Garth Peacock, Guy Bovet, Bernadette Dufourcet, Naji Hakim, Daniel Roth, and Jean and Marie-Louise Langlais. She is founder of the French Organ Music Seminar. Since 1989, an outgrowth of the seminar has been the production of videotapes in France. These videotapes cover French organs and organ music history and include Langlais playing and teaching at his home and at the Schola Cantorum, Marie-Louise Langlais teaching at the organ of Sainte Clotilde, and Daniel Roth teaching and playing at the organ of Saint Sulpice. The videos and one DVD are available for sale through the Organ Historical Society.

The fifth British Organ Music Seminar, led by Christina Harmon and Cliff Varnon, took place in England and Wales from June 24–July 3. With John Hosking, noted British concert organist, as guide, the group of 14 organists and their friends and spouses visited and played organs and attended Evensongs in London, Exeter, Truro, Wells, Bristol, Wales, Chester, Birmingham, and Blenheim. Well-known British organists Richard Townend, Daniel Cook, Andrew Millington, Robert Sharpe, Matthew Owen, Philip Rushforth, and Duncan Middleton served as hosts and teachers to the group along the way for extended two-hour or more playing sessions at each organ. In addition to spending a whole day studying British and French music with John Hosking at the St. Asaph’s Cathedral organ in Wales, the group was treated to a full afternoon of playing the Klais organ in the Birmingham Concert Hall. On July 3 the group took the Eurostar to Paris where they were joined by 32 additional organists and their spouses and friends to begin the French Organ Music Seminar, led by Marie-Louise Langlais and Sylvie Mallet. That afternoon the group enjoyed a recital at Notre Dame Cathedral by Angela Kraft-Cross, former participant of FOMS, and in the evening a session with Philippe Léfebvre at the Notre Dame organ.
Monday the group visited the Temple du St. Esprit with Kurt Lueders, then went to St. Etienne-du-Mont for a demonstration by Vincent Warnier, co-titulaire, followed by Christina Harmon’s performance of “Agnus Dei” by Thierry Escaich. This piece was commissioned by FOMS member Bruce Westcott and dedicated to another FOMS member, his brother Michael Westcott. A long afternoon of playing this famous organ of the Duruflés followed the performance, assisted by Mr. Warnier.
On Monday night, FOMS participants Lois Holdridge, Terry Flanagan and Colin Lynch joined Swiss organist Tobias Willi and Langlais students Beatrice Piertot and Chung-A Hong at the church of St. Eustache to present a concert of works by Guillou and Florentz to a large audience, with Jean Guillou in attendance, who provided personal remarks to the program. After the concert FOMS participants joined Mr. Guillou for dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Tuesday, July 5, at noon, FOMS participants Jason Farris, Jay MacCubbin, Samuel Gaskin, Tim Lyons, Colin Lynch, David Erwin, John Walko, Julia Walton, Jill Hunt, Mark Scholtz, Jeremy Tarrant, and Marko Petricic played a recital at the church of St. Roch. The afternoon and evening were spent in small groups with Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet and François Espinasse at the organs of La Trinité and St. Severin. On July 6 the group gathered in the morning at the Schola Cantorum for a panel discussion on the works of Franck with Kurt Lueders and Mmes Langlais and Mallet. A masterclass on Franck followed, with organists Barbara Reid, Jill Hunt, Marko Petricic, and Samuel Gaskin. In the afternoon group members Jason Branham, Samuel Gaskin, Louie Brewer, Bryan Jepson, Sean McCarthy, and Ray Peebles presented a concert on “The New Bach Organ for Paris”—the Aubertin organ at Eglise St. Louis en l’Isle. Afterwards, members of the group either stayed to play on the Bach organ, accompanied Kurt Lueders on a special tour to play lesser-known Cavaillé-Coll organs of Paris, or went with Mme Langlais for a group lesson.
On July 7, groups alternated to study with either Frédéric Blanc at Notre Dame d’Auteuil or Sophie Choplin at St. Sulpice. Scholarship contributors enjoyed a special lunch at the Langlais apartment. Later, participants in small groups received instruction and were treated to brilliant improvisations by Naji Hakim at La Trinité, while others gathered at the apartment of Maurice and Madeleine Duruflé. At night we gathered again at St. Sulpice for Daniel Roth’s lecture and concert.
On July 8 groups again alternated between playing at Les Invalides and St. Sulpice, while others studied privately and in small groups at the Regional Conservatoire with Langlais and Mallet. The evening was spent with Pierre Pincemaille at the St. Denis Basilica.
On July 9, Saturday, we boarded a bus to go to the Cathedral of St. Ouen in Rouen, hosted by Christophe Mantoux. Several people were able to play. On return Mantoux offered a special improvisation class for those who were interested; others had private lessons in Paris.
From July 10 through July 16 Mmes Langlais and Mallet took a smaller group to Burgundy and Switzerland, where we were hosted in Burgundy by Maurice Clerc, organist of Dijon Cathedral, and played many wonderful organs, including the Dijon Cathedral organ. We continued to Romainmôtier, where we spent the afternoon playing the Alain organ.
The group spent a large part of one day at the beautiful organ of the Tonhalle in Zurich. Designed by Jean Guillou, this contemporary organ is one of the most spectacular in Europe.
Another wonderful day was spent in Lucerne with Wolfgang Sieber, organist of the Hofkirche in Lucerne, who presented the group with an incredible crowd-pleasing concert, including his show-stopping arrangement of “Bridge Over Troubled Waters,” complete with organ effects guaranteed to win over even the many organ purists among us. With his virtuoso arrangements and theatrical gymnastics, coupled with the amazing organ of the Hofkirche, he attracts full houses at his concerts in Lucerne. Plans are underway for the 2007 British and French Organ Music Seminars, with a special celebration in France in honor of the 100th birthday of Jean Langlais, which will include choral as well as organ events. Information will be available beginning in July, 2006, at .

The Eighth Biennial French Organ Music Seminar attracted 60 registrants for a commemoration of the centennial of the death of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. Hearing, playing, and studying the music written for the great instruments of Paris, Rouen, and Toulouse formed the focal point of the two-week schedule. French Classical and modern instruments at Versailles, Chartres, Bordeaux, Cintegabelle, and Albi rounded out the itinerary. Five recitals and three masterclasses by and for participants climaxed the events. The legacy of Cavaillé-Coll's work and influence was made vivid especially for those experiencing the instruments for the first time--from the first large-instrument contract for Saint-Denis (1841), the transitional La Madeleine organ (1845), to the late Saint-Ouen instrument (Rouen, 1890). His respect for the work of predecessors such as Thierry, Dom Bedos and Clicquot is reflected in the preservation of pipework for instruments restored after the damage left behind during the French Revolution. Cavaillé-Coll's close relationship with the premier organist/composers of his generation who were inspired by his instruments was made apparent many times over.

Even the finest recordings pale when compared to the experience of being present within the acoustical environments of these magnificent instruments.  The initial experience of hearing the Grande Orgues of Paris played by their artist-curators--the effect of the near-Positiv and distant Récit, the solid depth of bass voices, the reverberation through the vast naves--was moving beyond description.

Prior to and during the seminar, participants studied improvisation and repertoire both privately and in groups with master teachers including Marie-Louise Langlais, Daniel Roth, Susan Landale, Naji Hakim, and Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet. Lectures on the history of each church and its instrument were followed by a demonstration and improvisation by the titulaire organist. Participants also enjoyed hearing a wide variety of examples of French Romantic and Classical literature from one another. Generous playing time was allowed at each venue.

At the Paris Conservatory organ recital hall, Dallas flutist Debra Johnson played a virtuosic new work for flute and piano by Naji Hakim, accompanied by the composer. Marie-Louise Langlais introduced François Espinasse, titulaire organist at Saint-Severin, who conducted the first masterclass which addressed French Classical music. His comments focused on correct registration and the careful and sensitive employment of the French manner. Mme. Langlais gave to the participants an extensive handout on registration and interpretation.

Saint-Roch was the next stop for a recital by David Erwin who played works by Clérambault, Balbastre, and Langlais. Lefébure-Wély, at age 15, assumed the organist position there in 1832. The instrument dates from 1751 with several rebuilds, including one by Cavaillé-Coll 1840-1862.

At Notre-Dame-de-Paris, the group gathered in the organ loft for Philippe Lefebrve's demonstration of the famous Cavaillé-Coll in this most famous of churches. Lefebrve's exciting improvisation began with employment of Clicquot pipework--a Grand Plein Jeu with pedal en chamade. Next, an Adagio with variously the Voix humaine, Doublette, Cromorne, Hautbois, Strings, and double pedal. A Flute Scherzo with Vox Humana countermelody in the pedal was followed by a lively march with Trompette long-note melody in the pedals. The stirring finale was built from Fonds+Reeds+Cornets to full organ with pizzicato pedal sprinkled throughout.

In the loft at La Trinité, titulaire organist Naji Hakim, protégé of Langlais, and Messiaen's chosen successor, told of Guilmant's collaboration with Cavaillé-Coll for the 1871 instrument. Hakim, a charming man, successful composer, and virtuoso organist, spoke with great reverence of his predecessor, Olivier Messiaen. He played two unpublished early Messaien works, Offrande and Prélude, which showed influence of Fauré and Debussy. Amid telling delightful stories and putting off the vacuum-cleaner-wielding sexton, he played portions of his own Sinfonia and a new piece, Chant de Joie. He then assisted participants in trying the organ.

The first participants' recital, open to the public at Saint-Roch, featured nine performers in a program of Clérambault, Boëllmann, Balbastre, Dupré, de Grigny, Widor, Langlais, and Saint-Saëns.

Notre-Dame-des-Champs was Ca-vaillé-Coll's parish church. Today the two-manual mechanical action organ, with Barker machine and Appel lever, is 90% original Cavaillé-Coll pipework. Titulaire organist Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet demonstrated the beautiful Flûte Harmonique and rich Montre of the Grand Orgue division and improvised on Fonds and Anches. She played portions of pieces by seminar director Christina Harmon, herself, her husband Naji Hakim, and René Vierne, who was organist at the church before his death in WWI.

At The American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Episcopal), Ned Tipton, organist of the cathedral, explained the varied history of the 1845 Cavaillé-Coll organ and later rebuilds and additions by Mutin, Henry Willis, and others. The west-gallery 1970 neo-Baroque organ, added as an aid to congregational singing, was eventually revoiced and brought into compliance with the chancel instrument. To demonstrate the diversity of the organ, Mr. Tipton played works of Bach, Sowerby, and Duruflé. A masterclass followed, conducted by Lynne Davis, with participants playing works by Franck, Vierne, Dupré, Widor, and Tournemire. Miss Davis' succinct comments focused primarily on tempo, phrasing, articulation, and delineation of form. Following the masterclass, David Wilson, retired professor of music history and early-music ensemble director at Dalhousie University in Halifax, presented a lecture on the French Romantic Organ School.

The historically rich Schola Cantorum, located in what was an English Benedictine monastery, was founded by Guilmant in 1896 for the restoration of Gregorian chant after Solesmes, and for fostering the heritage of the organ in that tradition. A temple of "non-official"  music, it nurtured students such as Debussy, Milhaud and Roussel. Teachers have included Vierne, the Duruflés, Grunenwald, and Langlais. The organ, designed by Guilmant, who played the inaugural recital, is a 1902 three-manual Mutin after Cavaillé-Coll. Mutin worked for Cavaillé-Coll and took over the company after Cavaillé-Coll's death. Participants were treated to a fine recital by Lázló Deák, competition-winner and student of Mme Langlais.  Repertoire included works of Guilmant, Vierne, Duruflé, Grunenwald, Messiaen, Litaize, and Langlais.

Also at the Schola Cantorum, Marie-Louise Langlais conducted a master class on the Franck Choral in E Major and Cantabile, Duruflé Veni Creator Variations, Widor Salve Regina, Langlais Fantasie, and Vierne Prélude from Symphony #1. Besides telling of the rich history of the school's site and heritage and the attributes of the organ, she wove stories and anecdotes of Franck, Sainte-Clotilde, Messiaen, Duruflé, Litaize, and Langlais for performers and audience.

The Sainte-Clotilde Cavaillé-Coll was demonstrated by Jacques Taddei, titulaire organist and current director of the Paris Regional Conservatory. After playing the Franck B-minor Choral he demonstrated the colors of the organ beginning with Grand Plein Jeu (of Baroque influence from Dom Bedos) the Positiv Clarinet (Cromorne) which was moved to the Récit by Tournemire but later moved back to the Positiv, Fonds 8¢ with Oboe, Great and Positiv Trompettes, all reeds together, solo reeds Oboe, Vox Humana, Trompette; and the  Grand Orgue, Récit, and Positiv Harmonique Flûtes. He improvised on two melodies: Amazing Grace and the refrain of  Battle Hymn of the Republic--chosen by Marie-Louise Langlais for all of the Americans present. It is among the "sweetest" of Cavaillé-Coll instruments (1859), reworked by Beuchet-Debièrre in 1933 and 1960 and Barberis in 1983. The console was electrified after WWII. The assertive unenclosed Positiv, forward in the case, contrasts greatly with the recessed Recit, a factor affecting registration of Franck's music on American organs. We would return to Sainte-Clotilde to play the organ and hear an impressive participants' recital of music by Franck, Boëllmann, Tournemire, Dubois, Guilmant, Vierne, and Langlais.

Michel Chapuis was the host at the Palace of Louis XIV at Versailles.  In the royal apartments he demonstrated an 18th-century harpsichord (Blanchet) and chamber organ. The highlight of the visit was his demonstration of the magnificent organ in the chapel. After his presentation, members of the group were able to play briefly.

Philippe Brandeis, titulaire organist at Sacre-Coeur and co-titulaire at Les Invalides, demonstrated the organ at the beautifully resonant chapel at Les Invalides (Church of the Dome). The chapel, built in 1675 by Louis XIV, is now reserved for military events and services and is the seat of the bishop of the military. An organ was finished in 1687 (Thierry) and LeBegue played there for the king. The organ had a checkered history throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and in 1957 was reconstructed after Sainte-Clotilde, though the present instrument is considered neo-classic with only one stop left of the original. Brandeis played the Duruflé Sicilienne and The World Awaiting the Savior by Dupré.

The noble chestnut trees of the cloister of Saint-Severin welcomed us to the architecturally eclectic church in the heart of the Latin Quarter of Paris. A walk from the West end pillars to the apse ambulatory columns and new stained glass designs is for the eye a short journey from the 13th to the 20th century. François Espinasse, titulaire organist, demonstrated the 1964 Kern (case from the original 1745 instrument) with flutes, cornets, and Basse de Trompette. Assisted by Espinasse and David Erwin, participants played Bach, Couperin, LeBegue, Raison, and deGrigny.

Our next stop, Saint-Sulpice, a mammoth Roman-style church with interior arches and huge paintings, boasts a Cavaillé-Coll of five manuals and 102 stops. Daniel Roth, titulaire organist, presented an excellent history of the organ. Its original Cavaillé-Coll mechanical-action console and preserved pipework are due in large part to the legacy of two organists, Widor and Dupré, whose combined, unbroken tenure there spanned 100 years. Despite protests that he "played too much like a German," Widor was appointed "interim" organist at Saint-Sulpice at age 26 upon the strength of Cavaillé-Coll's recommendation. He stayed for 63 years. Cavaillé-Coll retained the 1781 Clicquot pipework from the instrument which miraculously escaped desecration during the Revolution. Roth played an extended recital including Guilmant First Movement from Sonata #5, Widor Scherzo and a Fugue in A Minor. After demonstrating the Grand Jeu and other combinations, he concluded with an improvisation to demonstrate all the solo colors, strings, flutes, and tutti. Ample opportunity for all to play this great instrument was provided later in the week, with M. Roth assisting on the bench.

François-Henri Houbart, 20 years the titulaire organist at La Madeleine, discussed the considerable visibility of the church and its 1845 Cavaillé-Coll in terms of its history of celebrity organist-composers: Saint-Saëns, Fauré, Nadia Boulanger, Gigout, Dallier, Jeanne Demessieux, and Odile Pierre, and of the state occasions observed there. Many great musicians played the organ, including Frederick Chopin, Clara Schumann, and Anton Rubenstein. The organ was Cavaillé-Coll's second large instrument after Saint-Denis and is reminiscent of the French Classical design, with Plein jeu principals after Dom Bedos. There is no cromorne or cornet. The voix celeste is in the Positiv rather than in the Récit, and the Positiv is placed above the Grand Orgue. Its four-manual console is electrified, and 46 of the original 48 stops are preserved. Houbart demonstrated the organ with a long improvisation, delighting and amusing his audience, on the theme from "Dallas." Afterwards he assisted participants for playing time.

The visit to Chartres, site of renowned international organ competitions on the Danion-Gonzalez reconstructed organ of 1969-71, proved more than just the opportunity to hear and play the organ. This Queen of Gothic Cathedrals stands above all others as witness to and testament of the Age of Faith. Malcolm Miller, who has made a career studying and lecturing on the Chartres Cathedral, gave a guided tour especially for FOMS participants. Its 400 stained-glass windows, unparalleled in beauty, and the 4000+ sculptures which adorn the exterior capture and mesmerize all who journey there. Tourist traffic has failed to destroy its atmosphere and radiance.

 On the northern environs of Paris, titularie organist Pierre Pincemaille was our host at the ancient basilica church of Saint-Denis, the place of coronation and burial for centuries of French kings. It was here where the influential Abbot Suger instructed his architect to open up the apse ambulatory to light and space. The resulting gothic arches and provision for walls of colored glass realized Suger's belief that God can be known through beauty on earth. The nave is wide and "open." The 1841 Cavaillé-Coll instrument, his first in Paris and first to use the Barker lever, was restored in 1987 by Boisseau.

On Sunday morning, participants had opportunity to hear our French hosts improvise and preside from their organ lofts: Lefebvre for hundreds of tourists at the Notre Dame Gregorian Mass, Espinasse at Saint-Severin, Pincemaille at Saint-Denis, Taddei at Sainte-Clotilde, Dufourcet at Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Fréderic Blanc at Notre Dame d'Auteil, and Roth at Saint-Sulpice.

At St-Etienne-du-Mont, Maurice Duruflé's church, titulaire organist Thierry Escaich demonstrated the 1863 Cavaillé-Coll. The four-manual organ of 89 stops has been rebuilt and electrified by Beuchet-Debierre (1956), and rebuilt again by Gonzalez (1975) and Dargassies (1991).

The group traveled to Rouen to hear the spectacular 1890 Cavaillé-Coll organ at the abbey church of Saint-Ouen, a site with a history of bishops dating to the 7th century. The present flamboyant Gothic-style church's cornerstone is dated 1318, and the nave was finished in the 16th century.  Organist George Baker, describing his passion for the instrument, mentioned that it was the last organ which Cavaillé-Coll personally supervised. Widor played the dedication recital in 1890. The four-manual organ has one of the most spectacular of cases, with five figures crowning the towers: the central one is Christ, with King David, Saint Cecilia, and two angels on either side. Marcel Dupré's father Albert was titulaire organist at Saint-Ouen from 1911-1940. The organ was demonstrated first by titulaire organist Marie-Andrée Morriset with trumpeter Michel Morriset, in works of Vierne and Morriset. George Baker and Fréderic Blanc treated the group to a lengthy recital which included music of Vierne, Duruflé, and Widor. Dale Peters, Professor of Organ at the University of North Texas, played the Toccata by Lanquetuit which was dedicated to Albert Dupré.

From Rouen the group arrived late in the afternoon at the Regional Conservatory of Rueill-Malmaison. Professor, organist, and musicologist Susan Landale treated the group to her recollections of Marchal, Messiaen, and Langlais. A student of André Marchal in the 1950s and early 60s, she played several recordings of performances by these master teachers and discussed their relationships with one another through many interesting anecdotes and stories.

The next portion of the seminar itinerary took us to the south of France, first arriving in Bordeaux to visit the 14th-century Gothic Cathedral of Saint-André and its Gonzalez organ of neo-classical design. Our organist-host played the Final from Symphonie II by André Fleury. Bordeaux was the birthplace of Charles Tournemire, who was  organist there at Saint Michel. After playing-time at the cathedral and lunch, the bus drove towards Toulouse through the heart of wine country with a short stop at the picturesque, ancient Roman town of St. Emilion.

Continuing on to Toulouse, traveling through the beautiful countryside, we arrived in this beautiful city ready for the two days of events scheduled there. Most participants were attracted to the south of France because of the promise of experiencing the great organ at Saint-Sernin, but many other delights awaited. Two churches were on the first-day agenda. First, Église de la Duarade ("golden" from the gold mosaics that once decorated the interior), a Roman-style church with rounded arches with varied past of pagan, Moorish, and eventually Christian dominance. The organ, an 1864 Poirer and Lieberknecht, is typically Romantic, including a lovely free reed Euphone. Lefébure-Wély dedicated the instrument. Participants had ample time to play, with the assistance of François Espinasse and Sylvie Mallot, assistant director of FOMS. The choir organ, by Puget, was a jewel of an instrument with its Baroque case. A walk past the Garonne river took us to Église de La   Dalbade, a Gothic interior with familiar brick exterior common in this city and region. The organ of three manuals and 50 stops is an 1888 Puget. Espinasse played Messiaen's Dieu parmi nous. The voix celeste was particularly beautiful and the reeds assertive.

The Basilica of Saint-Sernin, a magnificent Romanesque church with spectacular spire, houses one of the most powerful of Cavaillé-Coll's instruments. Built in 1887-88 and restored in 1996, its three-manual console retains the original mechanical action. The reputation of the 54-stop organ comes partially from the presence of Pedal 32¢ Principal and 32¢ Bombarde, Grand-Orgue 16¢ Montre, 16¢ Bourdon, reeds from Bombarde 16¢ to 2¢ Clairon-doublette, and Trompette and Clarion en chamades 8¢ and 4¢. The Positiv is unenclosed. The fifteen performers for the third participants' recital prepared repertoire by Dupré, Langlais, Widor, Guilmant, Gigout, Boëllmann, Vierne,  and Franck.

The second day in Toulouse commenced at the Musée d'Augustine for a recital on a neo-Baroque organ by Arendt (1981). Housed in what was the impressive Gothic chapel of a monastery, the instrument was built upon recommendation of Xavier Durasse, an advocate for organ restoration in the region, who felt that Toulouse needed a modern instrument of this type. The first event held there was a Bach competition. Tuned in Werckmeister III, the organ has three manuals, 30 stops and a beautiful case with side door-panels.

The Cathedral church of Saint-Etienne houses an organ restored by Cavaillé-Coll in 1849. It was restored again by Puget between the World Wars and by Kern in 1976 to become a neo-Baroque instrument of four manuals with an echo manual. François Espinasse played works of deGrigny, Marchand, and Bach. This organ is placed so high on the wall, with access to the loft so difficult, that one of the titulaire organists there was forced to resign because of acrophobia.

The last day brought visits to three towns: Cintegabelle, Albi, and Lavaur. Tiny, picturesque Cintegabelle boasts a Roman-style church of Moorish influence and a large French-Baroque instrument built by Boulbonne which was moved to the church from a nearby 17th-century monastery. Its magnificent case dominates the building. Of three manuals and 36 stops, the organ has the French pedalboard of short keys. Participants practiced for the fourth recital of the seminar for works by Couperin, Roberday, Dandrieu, d'Aquin, and deGrigny.

In the city of Albi, with its magnificent and imposing cathedral church of Sainte-Cécile, participants visited the fabulous Toulouse-Lautrec museum (he was born in Albi) across from the church and then returned for the fifth participants' recital. The French-Baroque organ by Moucherel was restored to its original voice in 1971-1981 by the firm of Formentelli. The recital, including works by Clérambault, de Grigny, Le Begue, and Corrette, was enjoyed by many ambulating tourists.

Lavaur, a peaceful town with its church of Saint-Étienne, was the last stop of the seminar. Like many places in the region, Lavaur suffered during the Albigensian Crusade in the early 13th century, a legacy of terror and destruction. Today the river Agoût flows peacefully along its edges and beautifully sculpted gardens welcome the visitor to the church. The organ is an 1876 Cavaillé-Coll, whose case resembles La Madeleine in Paris.  Within the quiet surroundings, participants again heard the Romantic sound of Lefébure-Wély, Franck, Chausson, and Tournemire.

Directors Christina Harmon and Marie-Louise Langlais and their associates planned the schedule for maximum use of time, and the seminar fulfilled its purpose as an educational experience and delight for the ear. The gracious hospitality of our hosts included a dinner at the home of Naji and Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet Hakim, a garden reception at the Schola Cantorum prepared by Mme. Langlais and her daughter Caroline, and two group dinners at private rooms in fine restaurants, one of which was for celebration with song and gifts on Mme. Langlais' birthday.

The first French Organ Music Seminar in 1987 attracted six students who spent five days studying with Philippe Lefebvre at Notre Dame in Paris. The eighth tour, with 60 students from age 16 to 75, provided experience of a wide variety of instruments and invaluable personal interaction with fine scholars and teachers.  

The seventh French Organ Music Seminar took place in Paris and Marseilles with daily lectures, master classes, coaching sessions and private lessons. Side trips to Meudon, Rueil-Malmaison, Aix-en-Provence, Aubagne, Saint-Maximin, Roquevaire, and Cotignac, with opportunities to play the historic instruments of those cities, were also included for the sixty-five participants. The seminar had three principal leaders: Christina Harmon of Dallas, Texas, the organizer of the seminar;  Marie-Louise Langlais, noted teacher at the National Regional Conservatory of Paris and the Schola Cantorum, and widow of the composer-organist Jean Langlais; and Robert Martin, organist at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseilles. Assisting Harmon as seminar secretary was Cliff Varnon of Dallas.

The seminar began in Paris with an introductory meeting held in the Hotel Lorette, not far from the church of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette where César Franck had served as organist before going to Sainte-Clotilde. Madame Langlais guided the group to the church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs, the parish church of organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, where we were greeted by its titulaire Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet.  Dufourcet, wife of Naji Hakim, organist at  La Trinité, introduced the group to the two-manual Cavaillé-Coll from 1877 in a recital of her own compositions and works by Olivier Messiaen, Naji Hakim, Jean Langlais, Augustin Barié, Vincent d'Indy, and René Vierne, a former titulaire and brother of Louis Vierne. FOMS participants were invited to try the instrument themselves; many took advantage of their first of many opportunities to play a Cavaillé-Coll organ. Madame Langlais invited the group to join her at the church of Saint-Gervais in evaluating the organ built in the 17th century and played by members of the Couperin family from 1653-1826.  Many listeners heard--for the first time--the sounds of a real French Classic instrument in music by François Couperin and Nicolas de Grigny.    Even though the organ was in  a state of disrepair, the opportunity to hear the historic reeds, cornets, and plein jeu was unforgettable. The group spent the evening with Naji Hakim at the church of La Trinité. Hakim's demonstration of the organ, once presided over by such luminaries as Alexandre Guilmant and Olivier Messiaen, followed by an exciting symphonic improvisation, brought the first day to an end.

Day two began at the church of Saint-Augustin with a recital by its titulaire of over fifty years Suzanne Chaisemartin, a former student of Marcel Dupré and an instructor at Paris's École Normale de Musique. Since the grand Barker/Cavaillé-Coll organ, once presided over by Eugène Gigout and his assistant Léon Boëllmann, was being repaired, Madame Chaisemartin and FOMS participants played the choir organ. Built by Mutin/Cavaillé-Coll in 1899 with additions by Gonzalez in 1973, many consider it to be the most brilliant choir organ in Paris. Never far from the console, Chaisemartin offered helpful comments to players about interpretation and registration. The next stop was the National Regional Conservatory of Paris and an opportunity to hear and play the new Grenzig organ in the recently-completed organ recital hall. Madame Langlais and several of her students demonstrated the organ, teaching the group about the proper interpretation, registration,  and performance style  of French Baroque music.  FOMS participants then made their way to the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde for an introduction to the organ of César Franck, Gabriel Pierné, Charles Tournemire, Joseph Ermend-Bonnal, and Jean Langlais. Madame Langlais and her students demonstrated the famous Cavaillé-Coll instrument of 1859, and playing time was available to those who wished to climb the outside stairs to the organ gallery.  The experience of playing music composed by Franck and Langlais for this particular organ was unforgettable and revealing, as no recording does justice to the sound of this majestic instrument. The evening was spent with Olivier Latry at Notre-Dame Cathedral. Latry, one of the three titulaires, was joined in the gallery by choir organist Yves Castagnet for a demonstration of the vast instrument.  Group members were invited to play this instrument made famous by such musicians as Louis Vierne, Marcel Dupré, and Pierre Cochereau.  Some FOMS group members played works by those composers on this instrument, even though many tonal and mechanical changes have been made to it in the past few decades, changing significantly the tonal palette known by Vierne and Dupré. Olivier Latry closed the evening with an improvisation and a thrilling performance of Vierne's "Carillon de Westminster."

The schedule for the third day included visits to three different locations, each with its own distinctive organ. Beginning at the fashionable church of La Madeleine, FOMS participants were introduced to François-Henri Houbart and the elegant four-manual Cavaillé-Coll organ from 1846. Titulaire since 1979, Houbart follows in a line of noted organists such as Camille Saint-Saëns, Gabriel Fauré, Théodore Dubois, and Jeanne Demessieux. Those who wished to play the organ climbed the stairs to what was at one time known as the  most famous organ-loft in the world. Stories of Saint-Saëns and celebrated musicians, artists, and literary figures who visited his tribune on Sundays were endless. From La Madeleine, the group traveled to the church of Saint-Roch and heard its three organs: the one-manual instrument built in 1830 by the Abbey firm; the choir organ built in 1865 by Cavaillé-Coll; and the tribune organ, which evolved  from its original installation in 1751 by the Lesclop firm, through  rebuilds by Clicquot in 1770 and by Cavaillé-Coll from 1840-1862,  to its most recent restoration in 1992 by Renaud. Masterful demonstrations by the present titulaire Françoise Levinchin introduced the group to the organs played by her predecessors Claude Balbastre, Louis-James-Alfred Lefébure-Wély, and Pierre Cochereau.   Madame Levinchin graciously assisted and coached members who wished to play the tribune organ. The group traveled by train to Meudon for an introduction to the organ in the former home of Marcel Dupré. The four-manual instrument, once owned by Alexandre Guilmant, was expertly demonstrated by the charming Pascale Mélis, a former student of Marie-Louise and Jean Langlais and Rolande Falcinelli, and the titular organist at the church of Saint-Cloud in Paris where she has served for fifteen years.  As some group members played the Cavaillé-Coll organ, others investigated the many treasures in the  salon d'orgue decorated with historic woodwork given to the Duprés in 1926 by their friend Claude Johnson, then President of Rolls-Royce. That evening, many in the group took advantage of an improvisation class taught by Naji Hakim at La Trinité.

FOMS participants began the next morning with a visit to the Schola Cantorum, the institution founded by Alexandre Guilmant and Vincent d'Indy. The Schola's list of organ professors through the years includes Guilmant, Louis Vierne, Abel Decaux, Olivier Messiaen, Maurice Duruflé, Jean-Jacques Grunenwald, Jean Langlais, Gaston Litaize, Michel Chapuis, André Fleury, Naji Hakim, André Isoir, and Marie-Louise Langlais.  The group was treated to a demonstration/recital in the concert hall by two students of Madame Langlais, one a seventeen-year-old wonder who played the "Allegro vivace" from the Fifth Symphony of Widor, the Dupré Prelude and Fugue in g minor and the Duruflé Toccata. Members of the group also had the opportunity to perform on the 1902 Cavaillé-Coll.   The next musical encounter was at Saint-Sulpice, the church of such former titulaires as Louis-James-Alfred Lefébure-Wély, Charles-Marie Widor, and Marcel Dupré. Present organist Daniel Roth lectured about the history of the parish, the church, the organ, and his musical predecessors. An added treat was the opportunity to visit the crypt to view the final resting place of  Widor. The group returned to Sainte-Clotilde for a lecture by Madame Langlais on the music of César Franck, with a master class specifically concerning his Chorale in b minor. That evening, the group returned to Saint-Sulpice, this time treated to a grand improvisation by Daniel Roth, followed by playing time for group members on the well-preserved five-manual instrument. Playing music of Widor and Dupré on this organ provided exciting experiences for the group, as the instrument has changed little since the masters' tenures.

The seminar continued the following day with a trip to the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur in the Montmartre district. As the basilica is a site of perpetual prayer and adoration of the sacrament, group playing time was not possible. The titulaire, Philippe Brandeis, demonstrated the 1898 Cavaillé-Coll with an extended prelude to the Friday noon mass by playing Franck's Grande Pièce Symphonique and the "Andante sostenuto" from Widor's Symphonie Gothique. The group returned once again to Sainte-Clotilde for playing time assisted by Madame Langlais, who actually coached each player with a mini-lesson on each individual's chosen piece. Throughout the week, Madame Langlais and several of the other master teachers offered private lessons to individuals who desired a deeper understanding of the French organ and its literature. Their insightful comments and affirming compliments were greatly appreciated by those who chose to spend extra time learning.

Saturday began with a trip to the Conservatory at Rueil-Malmaison and lectures by the eminent teacher Susan Landale. Her lectures on Louis Vierne and Charles Tournemire were full of thought-provoking insights into the lives, careers, and influences upon the two composers. The evening was spent at the Parisian church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont as guests of Thierry Escaich, the present titulaire and successor of Maurice and Marie-Madeleine Duruflé. A master improviser, Escaich demonstrated the organ containing pipes made as early as 1633, and which has been altered through the centuries by such builders as Clicquot, Cavaillé-Coll, and Gonzalez.

On Sunday morning, FOMS participants were welcomed to the tribunes of Notre-Dame, Saint-Sulpice, La Trinité, and Saint-Eustache to observe the Parisian organists at work making music to enhance the celebration of the Mass. These experiences were not only educational, but were personally inspiring to the Americans who eagerly  watched and listened intently.

Following the morning of hearing thrilling improvisations and the playing of standard literature, FOMS participants departed Paris--some by plane, others by train--for the south of France and their destination of the Mediterranean seaport of Marseilles.

The group was greeted in Marseilles by Madame Langlais, several of her students from Paris, and Robert Martin, organist of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde. FOMS participants were shuttled through Marseilles to Notre-Dame de la Garde located at the top of a mountain overlooking the Mediterranean, where the nuns had prepared a hearty welcome meal for their guests; the view from the church was magnificent. After a long day, the Americans were glad to see the Hotel Tonic, headquarters for the next few days. 

On Monday morning, the group drove to the ancient city of Aix-en-Provence for a tour of its historic organs. Led down cobble-stone streets, past sprinkling fountains, the old clock tower, open-air markets, and beautiful gardens, the first stop was in the Cathedral of Saint-Sauveur, whose carved doors date from the 16th century. The cathedral organ of three manuals, originally built by Isnard in 1743, has undergone rebuilds by such firms as Cavaillé-Coll and Merklin. Group members played the historic instrument before moving on to the Reformed Temple to see the one-manual organ dating from the time of Louis XVI. At noon, a delightful reception in honor of FOMS participants was given by the Archbishop of Aix-en-Provence. The next stops were the churches of Saint-Esprit and La Madeleine, whose organs provided the group with opportunities to play three-manual instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries. In the early evening, a public recital was held at the Cathedral featuring music of Nicolas de Grigny, Jean-Adam Guilain, Jean-Jacques Grunenwald, Théodore Dubois, Maurice Duruflé, Louis Vierne, and Jean Langlais performed by FOMS participants Polly Brecht, Matthew Samelak, Anita Werling, David Erwin, Peter DuBois, Yun Kim, and Jeff Binford. Following the recital, the group dined in one of the many intimate restaurants in the old city.

Tuesday was spent in Marseilles, hearing and playing a wide range of historic and modern instruments. The first order of the day was a visit to the abbey church of Saint-Victor, whose four-manual organ blends stops from the 17th and 18th centuries with those of the 20th century. Next, the group was introduced to the Grignan Temple, a Reformed Church in which Madame Langlais had served as organist. The two-manual Kern organ of 1982 was designed by Madame Langlais. At noon, the group went to the city hall to be welcomed by the mayor of Marseilles at a lavish reception. The three-manual instrument at the church of Saint-Joseph was heard next; the organ and its impressive case, built in the 19th century, had its most recent restoration in 1988. The afternoon was spent at  the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde. The Romanesque and Byzantine church crowns a 162-meter rocky mountain that dominates the city of Marseilles. Topped by a huge gilt statue of the Madonna and Child, and covered with mosaics, the basilica has become a symbol  of the Good Mother to the people of the city. The basilica contains a one-manual choir organ built by Merklin in 1925, a transept organ of two manuals built by Grenzig in 1978, and the tribune organ which was originally built by Merklin in 1926 and revised in 1981.  All of these instruments were masterfully demonstrated by the basilica's titulaire, Robert Martin. Martin is a noted authority on Cavaillé-Coll and the author of a definitive tome on the historic instruments built by Isnard. After a ride along the Mediterranean coast, the group returned to the basilica for dinner and many opportunities to take photographs of the city and the sea from high atop the mountain.

The last day of the seminar began with a trip to the town of Aubagne to play the 1784  instrument of three manuals in the church of Saint-Sauveur. After driving to the small town of Roquevaire, the group visited the church of Saint-Vincent in which an imposing instrument was in the process of being built. With pipes taken from the old church organ and using the studio organ of Pierre Cochereau as a base, this new five-manual instrument will be one of the largest and most important in France. A unique situation exists here, in that the people of this peaceful town have made numerous sacrificial gifts to pay for this particular organ; plans are already underway for an extensive concert series which will bring the world's greatest organists not to Paris, but to a small town in the heart of Provence. The group was welcomed to Roquevaire by the town's mayor with an elaborate reception at which  FOMS participants took up a collection to purchase a pipe to be inscribed and used in the new organ. The seminar continued in the town of Saint-Maximin and a visit to the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine to hear and play the Isnard organ built in 1772.  Pierre Bardon, the titulaire, demonstrated the marvelous instrument and graciously invited FOMS participants to play. Madame Langlais and Bardon assisted players in the proper selection of stops for the French Baroque literature they played, and offered additional registration possibilities. The four-manual instrument of forty-three stops provided the organists with a step back in time to hear the actual sounds of a true French Classic instrument. As a festive end to the 1997 FOMS, the group was invited to an elegant evening of dinner and relaxation deep in the heart of Provence, near the town of Cotignac. The journey into the quaint French countryside brought the group to the beautiful home of our host and hostess, Gonzague and Christiane de Bayser. Great supporters of the arts in southern France, the couple planned an unforgettable evening that included a typical Provencale wedding feast served in their perfectly landscaped back yard. The meal consisted of broiled fish and squid with aioli sauce from the region, boiled potatoes, steamed carrots and cauliflower, boiled eggs, and cheese. When the dinner dishes were cleared, Madame de Bayser surprised the group with a huge chocolate cake decorated to look like an American flag with the words "Welcome to Cotignac" piped on top. Musical entertainment followed dessert in the music room, provided by group members. All in all, this was the perfect way to end what had been an unforgettable seminar for all the participants.

The group departed Marseilles early the next morning; many returned to the United States, while others journeyed by train to London for a brief seminar on British organ music.

While in London, the group heard and played the organs in several historic churches. James O'Donnell demonstrated the organ of Westminster Cathedral and assisted seminar participants who wished to play; he also lectured the group about the Westminster Cathedral choral tradition. At Westminster Abbey, Martin Neary talked about the Abbey musical tradition, and allowed for playing time by the group. Paul Stubbings demonstrated the organ at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, assisted those who wished to play, and gave a lecture on the music of Sir Edward Bairstow. John Scott invited the group to Choral Evensong at St. Paul's Cathedral and demonstrated the organ, as the group walked through the vast space. Richard Townend played a recital at St. Stephen, Walbrook, delivered a lecture on 18th-century English voluntaries, and demonstrated the organ at St. Margaret, Lothbury. The group was treated to a special evening in the home of London Times music critic Felix Aprahamian; dinner was served  followed by a recital played on Aprahamian's house organ by the young blind organist David Liddle. Other lectures by Nicholas Plumley and John Norman, with recitals by Malcolm Rudland and Martin Neary, rounded out the rest of the brief seminar in London. After many group members departed for the United States, several participants journeyed to York for a visit with Dr. Francis Jackson at York Minster. For the participants in the French Organ Music Seminar and the British Organ Music Seminar, opportunities for musical growth, performance, and inspiration were too numerous to count.    Those attending would agree that these types of hands-on seminars are of untold value in their development as musicians. Many thanks must be extended to Marie-Louise Langlais, Robert Martin, and Christina Harmon for their tireless efforts in making the seminars totally successful.

Paris Week, July 2-9, 2001

Kay McAfee is professor of organ and music history at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where she also serves as organist for First United Methodist Church.

The ninth biennial seminar attracted 80 participants who assembled in Paris anticipating the first week of playing time on the great instruments, lessons and classes with master teachers, participants' recitals, and the hospitality of our gracious hosts. At the Paris Conservatory, director Christina Harmon introduced co-director Marie-Louise Langlais, who received a warm round of applause. Participants introduced themselves and greeted old friends from previous seminars. Two student scholarship winners were announced: Josh Melson of Cherry Hill, New Jersey and a student at Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana; and Victor Johnson, a student at the University of Texas at Arlington and organist/composer-in-residence at Hamilton Park Baptist Church in Richardson, Texas.

The seminar always includes discourses about the instruments, improvisations by resident organists, and playing time for participants at the Schola Cantorum, Notre Dame de Paris, Les Invalides, Saint-Roch, La Madeleine, Sainte-Clotilde, La Trinité, Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Saint-Severin, Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, and Saint-Sulpice. The itinerary this year added visits to Notre Dame d'Auteuil, Saint-Augustin, Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Saint-Eustace, and Dupré's home at Meudon.

Group and private lessons took place throughout the week with instructors Yanka Hekimova (Saint Eustace), Naji Hakim (La Trinité), Françoise Levechin (Saint-Roch), Lynne Davis (American Cathedral), François Espinasse (Saint Severin), Susan Landale (Les Inva-lides), and Marie-Louise Langlais (Sainte-Clotilde).

Participants who had contributed to the student scholarship fund were treated to a lovely wine and cheese reception at the apartment of Daniel and Odile Roth. Roth led everyone to his basement studio which houses a two-manual organ and a grand piano. The walls are filled with posters, memorabilia, and photographs, including those of Schweitzer, Widor, Bach, Franck, and Conrad Bernier. Letters and musical quotes from Kodály, Widor, Schmitt, Messiaen, Guilmant, and Deutilleux overlook the study. Later in the week, Roth, titular organist at Saint-Sulpice, would give the history of the instrument, improvise, and spend nearly six hours assisting participants to play.

Paris Conservatory

At the Conservatory, Jean-Charles Robin, 19-year-old student of Mme. Langlais, improvised on the tune "National Hymn" (God of Our Fathers), given an interesting twist by David Erwin who submitted it. Mme. Langlais solicited literature and performers for the participants' recital at St-Roch.

Saint-Augustin

Saint-Augustin, within short walking distance of the Paris Conservatory, was Gigout's church. He was titulaire there from 1863 until his death in 1925. Assistant organist Didier Matry played Gigout, a Cochereau improvisation, and his own improvisation.

Saint-Roch

Sylvie Mallet, David Erwin, and Mme. Langlais assisted for the recital at St-Roch. Advertised in the Paris weekly publication for arts events, the program attracted a great number of listeners. Eighteen participants played the marvelous four-manual, 53-stop, 1770 Clicquot instrument which was restored and enlarged by Cavaillé-Coll from 1840 to 1862. It boasts reeds which are among the most powerful in Paris. Literature included works by de Grigny, du Mage, François and Louis Couperin, Clérambault, Hakim, Vierne, Honegger, Langlais, Salomé, Widor, Sejan, and Lanquetuit. Performers included Mary Milligan (Denver, Colorado), Yolanda Yang (Irvine, California), Jay MacCubbin (Providence, Rhode Island), Helen Van Abbema Rodgers (Fairhope, Alabama), Shinook Lee (New York City), Josh Melson, Thomas Hanna (West Palm Beach, Florida), Jack W. Jones (Palm Beach, Florida), Esther Wideman (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Kay McAfee (Arkadelphia, Arkansas), Carl Schwartz (Silver Spring, Maryland), Eunice Ford (Huntsville, Alabama), David Erwin (Alexandria, Virginia), John Walko (San Francisco, California), Barbara Reid (Dallas, Texas), Lois Holdridge (Fullerton, California), Angela Kraft Cross (San Francisco), and Randy Runyon (Oxford, Ohio).

La Trinité

Naji Hakim, titular organist at La Trinité, was protégé and designated successor of Messiaen. New seminar participants as well as returning veterans enjoy the devotion of Parisian organists to the heritage of their instruments and the tribute paid their predecessors. None is more enthusiastic than Hakim. Guilmant's heritage at La Trinité includes the story of his horror at returning from America to find his instrument dismantled and destroyed. Cavaillé-Coll rebuilt the organ and today it exists as the instrument best suited for Messiaen's music.

Hakim played the outer movements of Messiaen's Messe de la Pentecôte. He spoke of Messiaen's improvisation and how he freely moved within many styles: Classical, Mendelssohn, Widor. The Livre du Saint Sacrement exploits Messiaen's improvisatory gifts. Hakim played his newest composition, The Last Judgement, which incorporates plainsong melodies: "Dies Irae," "In Paradisum," Alleluia of the Epiphany, and Gloria from Missa de Angelis. He improvised on "The Star Spangled Banner" since this group was there on July 4.

Notre-Dames-des-Champs

Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet, titular organist at Notre-Dame-des-Champs, treated participants to the sound of the 90% original Cavaillé-Coll design and disposition. It contains one of the most beautiful harmonic flutes and rich montres.

Saint-Vincent-de-Paul

At Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, where Léon Boëllmann served as titular organist, Marie-Louise Langlais introduced Pierre Cambourian, the current titulaire, who played the 1849 Cavaillé-Coll choir organ. Its action and stops have remained untouched and it enjoys exquisite balance of foundations, mutations, and reeds. Of three manuals with a short Récit, it has a beautiful harmonic flute, vox humana, and 16' basson on the Récit. The church was designed in the Neo-Classical style, after La Madeleine. The four-manual Cavaillé-Coll Grand Orgue, originally comparable to the La Madeleine organ, is now of Neo-Classical design, refurbished by Gonzalez in 1970, and nothing plays on the fourth manual. It is of 66 stops, although 91 were originally planned. Participants enjoyed generous playing time.

Saint-Louis des Invalides

In the evening the entire group gathered at Église Saint Louis des Invalides to hear informative discussion and playing by Susan Landale, who is one of three organists for the church. The Thierry family built the first instrument, a four-manual organ, from 1679 to 1687. The Clicquot family (who were also in the champagne business) looked after it. Louis XIV's architect, Jules-Hardouin Mansart, designed the case with its gilded sculptures. Some pipework remains from Thierry: the cromorne, fonds, bourdon and doublette in the Grand Orgue, and Positiv nazard and 2'. In 1843 a full-scale restoration was ordered. Three firms submitted proposals: Cavaillé-Coll, Ducroquet, and the winner of the contract, Gadault. Gadault built a third-rate Romantic organ, completely destroying the Classical organ of Thierry. There are, however, very fine reeds in the Swell. The Gadault organ was dedicated in 1853.

In 1942, Bernard Gavoty, a pupil of Dupré and a respected and feared music critic, was appointed organist at Les Invalides. He moved within elegant Parisian circles, and was the right person to collect money for a rebuild of the organ. In 1955, it was decided to engage the Beuchet-Debierre firm, which was instructed to build a Neo-Classical instrument. The console was electrified and the compass of manuals and pedals extended. The chamades were added in 1979.

According to Landale, the principal miscalculation of the Neo-Classical movement was the idea that if there were mixtures one could play Bach. It didn't matter if the mixtures didn't fit well with the foundations. The other problem was cramming a large amount of pipes into a small space (the original case) in order to get more ranks. As a result, the scaling went smaller and the sound was thinner. But to consider the music of Tournemire, Duruflé, Messaien, and Langlais from 1930 to 1970 is to hear music which was influenced by the Neo-Classical sound.

The last overhaul of cleaning and tuning the organ was in 1980. There are plans for another overhaul in 2003 which will include rewiring the organ. The organ contains 61 stops, including cornets on both the Great and Swell.

Ms. Landale discussed Tournemire, his work and his legacy, and played two of the improvisations: Ave Maris Stella and Te Deum. These improvisations had been recorded at Sainte-Clotilde to wax discs in 1913. Duruflé transcribed the improvisations in the 1950s. Besides the two Tournemire improvisations, Ms. Landale played a piece by Petr Eben, who followed Tournemire's lead in the prodigious use of Gregorian chant.

Sainte-Clotilde

The entire group assembled at Sainte-Clotilde to hear Marie-Louise Langlais discuss the organ, to hear participants play, and to enjoy a demonstration and improvisation by Jacques Taddei, titular organist of Sainte-Clotilde and director of the Paris Conservatory. Mme. Langlais met the group outside to talk about the history of the church.

The parish was wealthy and Cavaillé-Coll was engaged to build the organ. The organ is 46 stops, small by Cavaillé-Coll standards. Franck served as organist here from 1859-1890. Pierne served from 1890-1898, Tournemire from 1898-1939, and Langlais from 1945- 1987. Mme. Langlais mentioned that she tried to get Langlais to retire in the mid-1980s, as he really was not able to climb the steps to the loft. He declared that he was determined to "stay one year longer than Tournemire," and he did.

Tournemire was a devotee of Baroque music, both German and Spanish. He tried to transform the Sainte-Clotilde organ to accommodate these styles. In 1933, he enlarged the Positiv by adding mutations and he also directed enlargement of the Swell. This changed the balance of the organ. More changes were made by Langlais in 1962. With Jacques Taddei and Marie-Louise Langlais as consultants, the organ is currently undergoing yet another restoration. The goal is to return it as much as possible to the original Cavaillé-Coll voicing and disposition while maintaining the tonal design for playing also the music of Tournemire and Langlais. The organ builder in charge is Bernard Dargassies, who also has worked at Saint-Augustin, La Madeleine, and Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. Restoration of the original wind pressure, addition of a second motor for the blower, and restoration of the stop action is in process. The organ, and especially the 8' foundation ensemble, sounds more powerful, while the reeds have remained unchanged. At this point, the organ is as close to the original Cavaillé-Coll since the restoration by Tournemire in 1933.

David Erwin played the Franck E Major Choral using exclusively the Franck stops including signature stops of great beauty: vox humana, Swell trompette and hautbois combined, and the solo harmonic flute. Mme. Langlais played part of the Seven Words of Christ by Tournemire, and Angela Kraft Cross played "La Nativité" from the Poèmes Évangéliques by Langlais.

Mme. Langlais introduced Jacques Taddei, who demonstrated the solo and ensemble stops of the organ: 1. Positiv and Grand Orgue flutes in a scherzo; 2. The Récit gamba and celestes with the beautiful Positiv clarinet (really a cromorne); 3. Grand Orgue trumpet with fonds of the Récit; 4. Positiv cromorne with cornet of the Grand Orgue; 5. Ensemble of fonds of the Grand Orgue and Positiv and fonds of the Swell including oboe; 6. Flutes of the Grand Orgue and Récit which have been restored as harmonic flutes; 7. Restored larigot and 1', added by Tournemire in 1913, are now more integrated into the organ. Taddei then improvised on two themes submitted by Mme. Langlais: a Breton folk song and the hymn "If thou but suffer God to guide thee."

For the July 8 Sunday Mass at Sainte-Clotilde, six seminar participants were invited by Mme. Langlais to present musical offerings during the service. Literature included: Improvisation on Ave Maris Stella (Tournemire), Louise Bass (Albuquerque, New Mexico); Grand Jeu (Corrette), John Walko; Choral Dorien (Alain), Jack Jones; "Mon âme cherche un fin paisable" (from Nine Pieces, Langlais), John Walko; "Communion" (from Suite Médiévale, Langlais), Kay McAfee; Variations on a theme of Janequin (Alain), Jill Hunt (Evanston, Illinois); "Final" (from Symphonie I, Vierne), Angela Kraft Cross.

Saint-Sulpice

At Saint-Sulpice, a massive Roman style church with rounded interior arches, tourists are dazzled by the huge paintings in its side-chapels, two of them by Delacroix. The imposing case of the Grand Orgue, designed by the 18th-century architect of the church, Monsieur Chalgrin, matches the enormity and weight of the interior. Organists at Saint-Sulpice have included Guillaume Nivers, Clérambault, Lefébure-Wély, Widor, Dupré, Grunenwald, and presently, Daniel Roth. Clicquot built the first instrument in 1781. That organ was of five manuals: Half-Récit, Half-Echo, Récit, Bombarde, Grand Orgue, and Positiv. In 1835, a proposed restoration by Callinet was begun but was abandoned; 60,000 francs and twenty years later, Cavaillé-Coll undertook the project. At the time there were three organs in the church, the Grand Orgue, a Choir organ, and a smaller instrument owned by the Dauphin. Cavaillé-Coll restored all of them, and the choir organ survives today. The grand orgue is of 102 stops, including the original Clicquot pipework which Cavaillé-Coll carefully preserved. At the completion of the work in 1862, the dedication featured César Franck, Camille Saint-Saëns, Alexandre Guilmant, and Gaylord Schmidt (the titulaire at the time). In 1863 Lefébure-Wély was appointed organist, and when he died six years later, Cavaillé-Coll recommended Widor as titulaire. Because of Widor's youth (26) and the observation that "he plays like a German," many letters of protest were written. However, Widor was named "provisional" organist and remained for 63 years. Further maintenance of the organ occurred in 1903 (Mutin, Cavaillé-Coll's successor) and in 1991 (Renaud).

Neither Widor nor his successor Dupré (1933-1971) allowed any major changes in the pipework at Saint-Sulpice through the Orgelbewegung and neo-classic movements of the 20th century. Widor supervised cleaning of the organ three times and in the 1920s an electric blower was added. Dupré had the organ cleaned and repaired in the 1950s. The unbroken tenure of over 100 years by these two organist-composers effected the presence of a largely unaltered example of Cavaillé-Coll's tonal design.

Notre Dame d'Auteuil

At Notre Dame d'Auteuil in a quiet, upscale neighborhood close to the southwest boundary of Paris, Frédéric Blanc, who was one of the last students of Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, introduced Mme. Duruflé's sister, Elaine Chevalier. She is a member of the parish and head of the new Duruflé Foundation. Blanc, a gifted musician, has been titular organist here for 21⁄2 years. The organ is very special because it is an unaltered 1885 Cavaillé-Coll. Widor and Dallier played the inauguration. Mutin restored the organ in 1912 and again in 1937-38 under the direction of Vierne and with approval from Duruflé and Dupré. An electrified console was added.

The organ was virtually ignored through the Neo-Classical movement and managed to remain untouched, primarily because the organist who preceded Blanc was there for fifty years, and the instrument remained "closed." It is of three manuals and 53 stops with both Récit and Positiv under expression.

Blanc then conducted a session concerning the tradition of improvisation practiced by French organists who study the art from the time they are young children. Improvisation is always a mix of composition and freedom. Control is necessary, with effective use of stop combinations: flutes and fonds, solo stops with celestes, and with a mixture of counterpoint and chordal harmonies. Blanc: "Start simply. Control the harmony according to theoretical principles. A chosen theme should have both melodic and rhythmic interest. In preluding for the service or providing meditation for communion, there should be a plan for the shape of the form." He talked about how ideas come quickly for the good improviser and that those ideas have to be molded quickly. The time spent practicing improvisation will result in the tools for being free with those ideas that come quickly.

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont

Across from the Pantheon and near the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens is located Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, the church where Maurice and Marie-Madeleine Duruflé served for over 50 years. There was an organ here first in 1633 to which François Clicquot contributed. Today only the magnificent case survives along with some of the original Clicquot pipes. Randy Runyon, French professor at Miami of Ohio University, introduced and translated for Vincent Warnier, the talented young winner of the Grand Prix International d'Orgue de Chartres in 1992, who assumed the post of titulaire here upon the death of Mme. Duruflé.

Warnier related the history of the organ, which evolved very differently than other Parisian instruments. In the 19th century, when the romantic and symphonic sound was valued, Cavaillé-Coll was asked to restore the organ, the work for which was completed in 1863. He added many Romantic voices--fonds, harmonic flute, an expressive Récit with voix celeste--and a Barker machine.

In 1930, at age 28, Duruflé was named titlular organist. He arrived to find the organ virtually unplayable, and with Vierne and Dupré, they envisioned a restoration. But WWII intervened. Duruflé had to play a choir organ of only 12 stops for 25 years. In 1955 the organ was finally restored. Duruflé had been Vierne's assistant at Notre-Dame and he very much wanted to recreate that organ here. The 48 ranks became 90, and the new electrified console was placed to the right of the instrument.

Because the original case was small, the pipes were spread out. Above the west entrance doors, pipes are visible with some placed on their sides. The Echo manual is completely to the side of the original case, and gives a sense of mystery to the tonal palette. This is not an historical restoration, but the dynamic range is enormous, with impressionistic colors and an impressive tutti. In 1989, Mme. Duruflé enlisted the Dargassies firm to restore the organ. At that time the console was further modernized, mixtures were revoiced, and fonds and an en chamade were added. Today the organ is an eclectic instrument.

La Madeleine

At La Madeleine, François Henri-Houbart, titular organist for the past 22 years, related the history of the colorful musicians and composers who have served this most civic and visible of Parisian churches. During Lefébure-Wély's era in the early 19th century, the church was considered "an annex of the Opéra Comique," because the music heard was often of the salon and theatrical varieties. When Houbart arrived, the organ was in a poor state of repair. Houbart oversaw a restoration of the windchests, the restoration of the wind pressure as prescribed by Cavaillé-Coll, and the modification of the newer stops so that they integrate well within the original pipework.

The organ (1845-46) is Cavaillé-Coll's second large instrument after Saint-Dénis and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. This instrument, originally of 48 stops, represents the transition to the Romantic-symphonic ethos of Cavaillé-Coll. The fonds, reeds, and plein jeu provide a Classic foundation (after Dom Bédos). There is no cromorne or cornet. The Récit is the same as Sainte-Clotilde but without the voix celeste. The organ has a large quantity of flutes, especially harmonic flutes, representing Cavaillé-Coll's transition to the orchestral organ. Today the organ has 58 stops, with 46 from the original instrument.

The organ underwent a restoration in 1927 for which Widor played the dedicatory recital. The program included his Suite Latine, which was written for the occasion. The console was electrified in 1971. The heritage of organists include Fessy, Lefébure-Wély, Saint-Saëns, Dubois, Fauré, Dallier, and Demes-sieux. Fauré was first the choir organist and he assisted Saint-Saëns. When Fauré became titulaire, Nadia Bou-langer was his assistant. Clara Schumann, Franz Liszt, and Anton Rubenstein frequented the organ loft.

The choir organ was also built by Cavaillé-Coll. At first it had only one keyboard, but he added another to encompass 20 stops. It was restored in 1997. The bassoon, oboe, and clarion are original stops. Houbart's fine improvisation included demonstration of the Cavaillé-Coll stops, then of the newer stops, then all together. Houbart related that once every three years he plays an all-Lefébure-Wély Mass, which he would do that evening at 6 pm, Sunday at 11 am, and Sunday evening at 6 pm. For participants who wanted to attend, about ten people at a time could visit the organ loft. He mentioned that Lefébure-Wély  wrote a number of excellent anthems and choral music for the Mass, and that Saint-Saëns, who was a detractor, actually admired his improvisations.

Schola Cantorum

At the Schola Cantorum, Mme. Langlais told of the school and its Mutin organ (Mutin took over the firm after Cavaillé-Coll's death). Founded in 1896 by Charles Bordes, Alexandre Guilmant, and Vincent d'Indy, it was established for the study of the restoration of Gregorian chant after Solesmes and to re-introduce the Grand Orgue. The Schola was not as competitive as the Conservatory. A temple of "non-official" music, teachers included Guilmant, Vierne, the Duruflés, Grunenwald, Langlais, Satie, Martin˚u, and Turina. Students included Milhaud, Roussel, and Debussy.

One of Mme. Langlais's students, Verouchka Nikitine, played a fine recital which included Vierne, "Allegro et Cantilene" (Symphonie 3); Widor, "Allegro" (Symphonie 6); Langlais, "Communion" (Suite Médiévale); and Jean-Louis Florentz (b. 1947), two movements from Laudes. Participants enjoyed a light buffet supper prepared by Mme. Langlais and her daughter Caroline.

Participants chose among several churches to attend Sunday morning. The afternoon event was a recital at Notre-Dame-de-Paris which consisted of music of Mendelssohn and Bach. The church was full and pleasantly respectful as the recital proceeded. The organist experienced difficulty with registration changes, and it was somewhat disappointing to hear an all-German recital on this, the largest instrument in Paris. Playing time was allowed after the cathedral closed its doors to the public.

Saint-Étienne, Caen, Chartres

Participants boarded a bus for the 200 kilometer drive through the lovely countryside to Normandy and the city of Caen. Saint-Étienne houses a large Cavaillé-Coll instrument which is a-mong the three finest and largely unaltered organs of the builder. The others are at Saint-Sulpice and at Saint-Ouen in Rouen. Phillip Klais, president of the Klais firm of Bonn, Germany, introduced tonal director Heinz-Gunter Habbig. Habbig studied with the last voicer of the Cavaillé-Coll tradition, and he has made extensive studies of the organs at Saint-Ouen, Saint-Omer, Saint-Sulpice, and Saint-Sernin. Habek has directed several Cavaillé-Coll restorations, and his presentation of this instrument and discussion of the Cavaillé-Coll ethos was filled with reverence for the work of such a master craftsman.

The Abbey Church of Caen was a famous center of art education in the Middle Ages, but there is no record of an organ until the 15th century. In May of 1562, Protestants ransacked the church and ruined the organ. 200 years later, in 1737, the monks engaged a builder in Ouen and that organ's oak case, from 1741, its towers crowned with flower pots, remains today. On February 10, 1745, the organ was completed, a remarkable 18th-century specimen with five manuals and 61 stops. The first three manuals had a compass of 53 notes, a first in France, and the pedal was complete with a 16' and cornet.

The organ was endangered during the French revolution but suffered only neglect. In 1859 there was a restoration, and by 1877 more repairs were needed, and Cavaillé-Coll was asked to give an opinion. It was decided, with approval of Guilmant, that the old case and old façade pipes would be retained, with an addition of 8 stops. New wind chests and blower, new action, and new pipework were built in one year; the manual compass was increased to 56 notes. On March 3, 1885, Guilmant played the dedication recital. Repairs were needed in 1899 and the organ was given excellent care through to 1944. In January of 1975, the Secretary of Culture placed the instrument on the National Register of Historic Monuments. In 1998-99 there was another restoration.

Lynne Davis, a native of Michigan who has lived in France for 30 years, has for five years been Professor of the National Regional Conservatory at Caen. She studied with Marie-Claire Alain, Jean Langlais, and the Duruflés. Her studio of 20-25 students is privileged to practice and take lessons at Saint-Étienne and also to play the choir organ which is a Baroque instrument. After speaking of her immense affection for this great instrument, Ms. Davis played "Nef" and "Rosace" from Byzantine Sketches by Mulet, Cantabile by Franck, and Toccata by Vierne. Participants were then allowed generous playing time.

Part of the group continued on to Chartres to hear assistant organist Laurent Bois play and then all had the opportunity to play the great 1971 Danion-Gonzalez organ of 69 stops.

Participants returned to Paris and prepared to depart for Alsace for the second week of the French Organ Music Seminar.

(A report on the Alsace week will appear in a later issue of The Diapason.)

Oberlin’s Organ Tour de France

Despite the best efforts of Winter Storm Hercules, all but one of our group of seventeen made it to Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport as scheduled on Friday, January 3. Once we had gathered our luggage, we headed off to our first point of interest: a cemetery . . . where else!?

The cemetery at Montparnasse is the final resting place of a number of notable figures from French history and culture. Among the graves we visited were those of Jean-Paul Sartre, Louis Vierne, César Franck, and the tombs of the Cavaillé-Coll, Saint-Saëns, and Guilmant families. Interestingly enough, while the map at the entrance to the cemetery (marking the burial locations of those considered worthy of listing) includes Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, César Franck, and Camille Saint-Saëns, Louis Vierne and Alexandre Guilmant were not listed. Fortunately, Professor James David Christie knew where they were and many a photograph was taken!

We then took the wonderful Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV)—France’s high-speed rail service—for a three-and-a-half-hour trip to Bordeaux where, after a glass (or two!) of wine, we rested in preparation for what would be a life-changing two weeks for all involved.

Bordeaux

The next morning, we rose early and made our way to the eleventh-century abbey of Sainte-Croix, home to the only remaining instrument of Dom Bedos, a monk and secretary of the abbey as well as a mathematician, clock builder, and author of the monumental treatise The Organ-Maker’s Art. We gathered in the large church as Professor Christie demonstrated the instrument with Louis Marchand’s Grand Dialogue in C. It was clear from the first few notes on the mighty reed chorus, the Grand Jeu, that this organ was to set the tone (no pun intended!) for our entire visit. It is impossible to describe just how powerful this instrument is—it must be heard to be believed. The entire space was filled with a raw brilliance supported by one of the finest acoustics I have ever experienced. Next we heard the instrument’s other “big” chorus—the Grand Plein Jeu—made up of foundations and mixtures. On this instrument the Grand Plein Jeu is built on a 32′ foundation and its 23 ranks of mixtures produce thrilling and rich sound.

The original instrument was constructed in 1748; during the nineteenth century it was moved to the cathedral in Bordeaux and tonally romanticized, while the organ’s case remained in the abbey church, now fitted with the former cathedral organ. Thankfully, the organ was saved in the second half of the twentieth century and restored and returned to the abbey church, with Dom Bedos’s aforementioned treatise acting as an incredibly detailed guide as to what should be done. As part of this restoration, the red paint that then covered the case was stripped, initially so that the case could be repainted. In the process, the instrument’s original green was revealed along with the beautiful stop labeling at the console. As a result, we have today one of the finest and most aurally and visually beautiful organs in all of Europe, if not the world.

After hearing the instrument in the church, we made our way up to the large organ gallery, walking through the enormous blower room (where, before electricity, the instrument required seven people to pump it!), eventually arriving at the exquisite five-manual console: Positif de dos; Grand-Orgue; Bombarde; Récit; Echo. The Positif de dos and Grand-Orgue contain the majority of stops. The Bomdarde contains only two large reed stops—this was for practical reasons concerning the winding of the instrument. Nevertheless, the Bombarde can be coupled down to the Grand-Orgue to create an astonishing Grand Jeu chorus built on the 16′ reed. This is neither common nor necessarily appropriate for a majority of the so-called French Classical repertoire, but used judiciously and in the right pieces, this registration creates one of the greatest sounds in all organ music.

Perhaps the most “alien” aspect of the French Classical organ is the Pédale division. Unlike its German or Dutch counterparts, the pedalboard and stops of a French Classical instrument are not designed for counterpoint, but to provide a bass part centered around an 8′ flute pitch (with occasional 16′ pitch added by use of manual couplers) or to play the cantus firmus on the 8′ Trompette, accompanied by the Plein Jeu of the manuals. In the case of the Sainte-Croix Dom Bedos, the Pédale division has both flue and reed stops at 16′ pitch as well, but this was by no means common. We all had some challenges negotiating the odd pedalboard at Sainte-Croix: not only was its design different from anything else we had ever encountered, its compass stretched down to F below the C where modern pedalboards stop. This meant that no note was where we thought it should be! That being said, the mighty 16′ Pédale Bombarde extended down to low A, allowing Bach’s French-inspired Pièce d’orgue, BWV 572, with the usually unplayable low B in the middle section, to be played on this instrument. As with everything on this organ, the sound of these low reed notes was something to experience!

We were incredibly fortunate to spend the entire day and much of the evening with this wonderful instrument and were soon to discover that the organ’s uncompromising mechanical action and the church’s glorious acoustic could teach us a great deal about how to play—certainly something that would be a recurring theme throughout the trip. I should also mention that the food and wine in Bordeaux were exquisite, and I could not help but think of Julia Child—it was easy to see why she fell in love with French cuisine!

The next morning, a number of the group attended Sunday Mass at Sainte-Croix. Titular organist Paul Goussot, a winner of the improvisation prize at St. Albans in 2011, and the winner of the Haarlem International Organ Improvisation Competition in 2012, improvised brilliantly during the Mass. 

Then we took the train to the city of Toulouse, in southwest France, near the Spanish border. Toulouse is, without a doubt, one of the great organ “capitals” of the world, and we had four days to explore some of its treasures.

Toulouse

Following a wonderful supper of bread, cheese, foie gras, and “king’s cakes” (in honor of the Epiphany) at the home of Michel Bouvard, as well as a private fortepiano performance by Madame Yasuko Bouvard, we made our way to the stunning Romanesque Basilica of Saint-Sernin, where Professor Bouvard is titulaire. The organ, built in 1889, was among the last instruments of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and, for many of us, the first Cavaillé-Coll we had ever encountered “in the flesh.” Although based in Paris for most of his professional career, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was originally from Toulouse and came from a family of organ builders. From the age of twenty, he worked with his father; this included restoring a number of instruments in Spain. The Spanish influence can be seen in a number of Cavaillé-Coll’s instruments that make use of en chamade reeds, and Saint-Sernin is no exception.

Saint-Sernin is a vast church with an incredibly long nave extending into a choir that certainly had an influence on Cavaillé-Coll’s concept for the organ. There is one word to describe the tutti of the Saint-Sernin Cavaillé-Coll: TERRIFYING! The huge wall of sound produced was definitely intended to travel from the organ gallery to the high altar, and it does so with ease. That being said, Professor Bouvard treated us to a spectacular performance of César Franck’s Grand Pièce Symphonique in which we also heard the more lyrical side of this outstanding organ.

Every evening during our time in Toulouse, we had unfettered access to the organ in Saint-Sernin, which, while very different from the Dom Bedos in Bordeaux, also had a great deal to teach. Much of the time was spent adjusting to the large space, Barker-lever action, and a very heavy swell shoe! As was the case with nearly all the organs we played, “inflicting one’s self” was not an option—you had to listen, feel, and respond to what the instrument and room were telling you in order to achieve the most satisfying musical results. It was also huge fun to “let rip” on full organ, although after 11 p.m. the tutti had to be used sparingly owing to its audibility throughout most of the surrounding area.

While the name of Cavaillé-Coll is well known among organists throughout the world, the name of Théodore Puget is perhaps not quite so well known. . . but it should be! We encountered two instruments by the Toulouse-based organ builder in his native city: Notre Dame du Taur—Puget’s first large instrument in the city, inaugurated by Guilmant in 1880; and Notre Dame de la Dalbade, inaugurated by Widor in 1888. We were all in awe of these exceptionally fine instruments placed in churches with glorious acoustics. In contrast to the fiery directness of the Cavaillé-Coll in Saint-Sernin that bellows “I’m here,” the two Puget instruments enveloped the listener with a far warmer sound. While perfect for the music of the great French Romantic composers, it was unfortunate that none of us had brought along any Howells or Whitlock, which would work equally well. Sadly, Puget never built a major instrument in Paris owing to Cavaillé-Coll’s monopoly in that city.

We also spent time at the church of Saint-Pierre des Chartreux, home to a four-manual French Classical instrument dating from 1683, with rebuilds in 1783 and 1983. While more modest in scale than the instrument at Sainte-Croix, it was perfectly suited to the ornate Baroque church and gave us another chance to work on our French-Classical pedaling!

On the evening of Wednesday, January 8, four students—Nicholas Capozzoli, Mitchell Miller, Alcee Chris, and I—performed a short concert at the Musée des Augustins. This former monastery, which was used to store horses during the French Revolution, became a museum in the nineteenth century and is home to a North-German influenced organ built in 1981 by Jürgen Ahrend. It was here that we probably encountered the largest acoustic of our entire visit—nine seconds, which would have been closer to twelve were it not for an exhibition at the back of the space.

This was followed by a visit and reception held at Toulouse les Orgues, headquarters for the annual organ festival that brings countless organ enthusiasts to visit the numerous musical masterpieces of this city. The festival staff, headed by Yves Rechsteiner, is housed in the former Church of the Gesu, a stunning Victorian Gothic edifice. The rear gallery of the nave houses a modest two-manual Cavaillé-Coll organ in absolutely original condition.

The next day we took the train to Albi, whose cathedral dedicated to St. Cecilia—claimed to be the largest brick building in the world—is home to one of the most impressive organ cases in Europe. At the neighboring (and considerably smaller) church of Saint-Salvy, parts of which date back to the eighth century, we heard the 1930 Maurice (grandson of Théodore) Puget organ. While containing some seventeenth-century pipework and being housed in the original case (which had once been in the cathedral) this was certainly a twentieth-century instrument in the French-Romantic style.

We then returned to Toulouse; a small group of us visited the church of Saint- Nicholas, home to an 1844 organ by Callinet. This was certainly one of the hidden gems of the trip—an instrument indebted to its French-Classical predecessors, but also looking forward to the larger romantic instruments that would follow it, particularly in its foundation and solo voices.

We then took the TGV to the city of Poitiers—the birthplace of Louis Vierne. We made our way to the beautiful cathedral, home to the 1791 François-Henri Clicquot organ—one of the crown jewels of all the organs in France. Compared with the “rustic” and almost bombastic Dom Bedos in Bordeaux, this instrument was incredibly refined, with a sweet, singing tone, even in the Grand Jeu. It was therefore not surprising to learn that this is the same Clicquot family who make the famous Veuve Clicquot champagne—everything about the instrument suggested elegance and class. Our gracious host was the cathedral organist, Olivier Houette. A couple of hours later we arrived in Paris, where we were to spend the remainder of our visit. 

The next morning we took a train to the small town of Houdan, about 40 miles west of Paris, to visit the church of Saint-Christophe Saint-Jacques and play the church’s Louis-Alexandre Clicquot (father of François-Henri) organ. This was certainly an unexpected highlight of the whole trip: the instrument has remained almost completely untouched since it was built in 1734, with some of the pipework dating from as far back as 1667, making it one of the most ancient instruments in France. Sadly, this is only one of a handful of such instruments in the Paris area that survived the French Revolution. The sound of the instrument was absolutely exquisite and it was a joy to play; the pitch (ca. A=390) and meantone temperament added additional spice and color. Its modest size also made it particularly suited to playing the works of earlier French Classical composers such as Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers, François Couperin, and Nicolas de Grigny (to name but a few), despite having been constructed relatively late in the period. The organ was demonstrated by its titulaire, Régis Allard. In addition to its delightful organ, Saint-Christophe Saint-Jacques also had the distinction of being the coldest church we had visited to date, making all that French ornamentation a little tricky!

On our return to Paris, we stopped in Versailles. After a private tour of the King’s and Queen’s Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors, our host and organist of the Royal Chapel at Versailles, Jean-Baptiste Robin, gave us a wonderful demonstration of the 1994 Bertrand Cattiaux organ, which is housed in the original and lavish 1709 case. Although a modern instrument, it is a faithful reconstruction of what would have reigned supreme in the early eighteenth century. Sadly, the original Robert Clicquot of 1711 was subjected to a number of changes over the centuries eventually being replaced by a Cavaillé-Coll which was, in turn, rebuilt by Gonzales. 

The chapel itself is a fascinating space, and it would be impossible to describe in words just how beautiful and ornate it is. For one, there are no “hard” edges—everything, including the organ case, is curved—quite a contrast to the more conservative cases in Houdan and Poitiers. Unusually, the organ is above the altar, but it is customary in French churches for the organ to be behind the congregation, and in the Royal Chapel, the congregation faced the King, who would be seated in a gallery at the back of the chapel, facing the altar and the organ. Jean-Baptiste also informed us that the Holy Trinity is very important to French Roman Catholics and drew our attention to a number of allusions to the Holy Trinity in the Royal Chapel. He went onto say that it is perhaps not coincidental that the French-inspired organ works of J. S. Bach, namely Pièce d’orgue, BWV 572, and the Prelude and Fugue in E-flat, BWV 552, can also be viewed in a Trinitarian light.

Paris

On our only Sunday in Paris, we were encouraged to attend Mass at one of the city’s many churches. While some opted to go to Notre Dame or Saint-Sulpice, a few of us went to the church of Saint-Gervais, perhaps most famous for its association with the Couperin family who served as organists of the church for almost 200 years. The church was full for this celebration of the Mass in French. One of the most pleasant surprises was the music: although the organ provided a number of interludes at certain points of the liturgy in a variety of styles, a majority of the service was sung without accompaniment. While the singing was led by a large chorus of nuns, it was wonderful to hear the congregation joining in enthusiastically. Perhaps the most unusual, yet incredibly effective and beautiful moment of the service was during the Eucharistic prayer, when the clergy around the altar started singing in three-part harmony, accompanied by slow moving chords hummed by the nuns. It was nice to be involved in a real French parish Mass and to see that, although very different to what the Couperins would have known, music still plays an important part in the life of the parish.

Later that afternoon we made our way to La Madeleine for an organ recital performed by Vincent Grappy. It was quite a welcome surprise to see the church almost full—several even likened the audience size to an AGO convention recital. This magnificent church is perhaps most famous for hosting the premiere of Fauré’s Requiem, and we even had a chance to briefly glance at the intact Cavaillé-Coll choir organ which was used at that performance. 

Following the recital, it was time to make our pilgrimage to perhaps one of the most famous and important (especially for organists) Parisian churches—Saint- Sulpice. We received a warm welcome from the present titulaire, Daniel Roth, one of a line of distinguished musicians who have held this important and coveted post. Both Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers and Louis-Nicolas Clérambault were organists there, although neither knew the present building that was commenced in the middle of the 17th century and finally completed 100 years later. The great five-manual, 64-stop organ by François-Henri Clicquot was dedicated in 1781. It was reported that Clicquot was so happy with the results that he danced for joy during the dedication, and the organ became very famous throughout Europe. The organ survived the French Revolution in 1789 thanks to a blind organ pumper who, wishing to save the instrument, cleverly stamped the official seal of the government on the door to the gallery, making it seem as though that part of the church had already been inspected and approved.

Mendelssohn visited the church in 1833, and it was clear that the organ was in desperate need of restoration, with the renowned composer likening its sound to a choir of old women! In 1835, the builder Callinet began a restoration project that took ten years; it was ultimately unsuccessful and left him bankrupt. In 1854, one of the priests at Saint-Sulpice, a great admirer and friend of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, declared that such a beautiful church needed two beautiful organs. And so it was that Cavaillé-Coll began work on the instrument in 1857. When it was completed five years later it was one of the three largest organs in the world. By retaining all of the Clicquot stops—which account for about 40 percent of the instrument—Cavaillé-Coll not only demonstrated his respect for the craft of his predecessors but also created an instrument that successfully melds old and new styles into a coherent whole.

If there was one thing we learned about Cavaillé-Coll, it was that he was a consummate artist whose concept was perfectly suited to the space for which it was intended. While he had very little to do with the actual building of his instruments, the concepts were his and he knew just whom to employ to get the results he wanted. This project was clearly very important to Cavaillé-Coll: following the aborted Callinet project that had cost the church a fortune, with nothing to show for it, Cavaillé-Coll’s initial proposal was for a four-manual, 74-stop instrument. Over time, the instrument grew larger with the addition of a fifth manual and 26 more stops—none of which had been contracted or paid for. It is no surprise that Cavaillé-Coll was often close to bankruptcy with many of his projects, but if he had not cared so much, we probably would not have some of the great instruments we have today.

After Saint-Sernin, we were all rather surprised at how elegant and soft-spoken the Saint-Sulpice Cavaillé-Coll was in comparison, even the tutti. The overall tone was darker and more rounded than Saint-Sernin, and this seemed totally in tune with the majestic building, creating a wash of sound that filled the room rather than launching a battery of sound directly to the other end of it. Another contributing factor to the sound is the enormous case, with its huge 32′ façade pipes and colossal statues, keeping the sound contained to a certain extent.

Finally, a lucky few had the opportunity to play the instrument, and it was such a privilege to be able to hear the sounds Widor and Dupré knew and worked with. I played Dupré’s exquisite Prelude and Fugue in F minor, op. 7, no. 2. I had been warned that after playing this piece at Saint-Sulpice it would be difficult to play it anywhere else, and after hearing the first few sixteenth notes of the Prelude, on the 8′ Gamba and 2′ Octavin of the distant Récit, I understood—the eerie sound combined with the building’s acoustic was like nothing I had ever encountered before.

The vast five-manual console required some getting used to; the Récit is the fourth manual—it used to be the fifth (!)—and therefore presented the more vertically challenged among us with quite an extensive reach. At one point, Monsieur Roth kindly held on to my shoulders to prevent me falling off the bench while both hands were playing on the Récit! He was also gracious enough to operate the hitch-down swell pedal which, being located to the far right of the console, would have required my left foot to be considerably busier than it wanted to be. Cavaillé-Coll used these until 1870, when he introduced the more convenient but certainly less expressive balanced swell pedal. 

Upon playing a wrong note, I apologized, but was told by Monsieur Roth, “Don’t worry, he [Dupré] is not here, but with Widor, we have to be far more careful . . .” Yes, Widor’s tomb is down in the crypt and we were taken down to pay homage, following our evening with Professor Roth.

The next morning we made our way to the church of Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile to hear and play the church’s Bernard Aubertin organ, in North-German Baroque style. This is one of the finest of its kind in Paris and somewhat of a rarity. It was a welcome palate cleanser at this point of the trip to hear the sound of baroque-inspired principals and a particularly beautiful double-flute stop.

Having never been inside Notre Dame, a number of us stopped in briefly to gaze in awe at the gorgeous stained glass of one of the most famous buildings in the world. Unfortunately, the main organ was then undergoing restoration work and was unplayable. We then headed up to La Trinité, the church of Guilmant and, more recently, Olivier Messiaen.

This was somewhat of a pilgrimage for me personally, being particularly devoted to the music of Messiaen, and upon arrival at the church, I was greeted with a deeply moving vision: it had been raining, but as I approached the church, the sun came out, and a perfect rainbow appeared over the church—it could not have been more appropriate with Messiaen’s love of nature and the importance of color in his music.

The organ’s curator, Olivier Glandaz, was our host and had been a close friend of Messiaen. The organ has been well cared for and is in excellent condition. It was incredibly special to be able to hear Messiaen’s music on his organ, the combination of instrument and room creating what I can only describe as a glorious “shimmer.”

Day 12 was spent in the old French town of Rouen, perhaps most famous for being the place of Joan of Arc’s martyrdom. It is also home to Cavaillé-Coll’s last organ—the mighty four-manual instrument in the former Abbey Church of Saint-Ouen, which knocked the church in Houdan to second place as the coldest building of the entire trip! While in need of thorough restoration, it was wonderful to hear (and play) this “Grand Old Lady,” and yes, that 32′ reed really is as earth shattering as it sounds on recordings! Our hosts were the titular organist Marie-Andrée Morisset-Balier and her husband, trumpet virtuoso Michel Morisset.

Upon our return to Paris, we visited the van der Heuvel organ at Saint-Eustache, beautifully demonstrated for us by Vincent Crosnier, Jean Guillou’s assistant. 

Our penultimate day in France began at the Paris Regional Conservatory where those students who didn’t perform in Toulouse played a concert on the school’s Grenzing organ—the same instrument used for the preliminary rounds of the Chartres International Organ Competition. The performers were Richard Gray, Rees Roberts, Abraham Ross, Jillian Gardner, Albert Bellefeuille, Matthew Buller, Donald VerKuilen, and Jay Yau. Following the concert, Sylvie Mallet, the current professor of organ, and Marie-Louise Langlais, professor emerita of organ, were our hosts and joined us for lunch at a small restaurant that was once frequented by the likes of Debussy, Ravel, and Poulenc.

That afternoon, we visited the church of Saint-Roch where Claude-Bénigne Balbastre, Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wely, and Pierre Cochereau are among its most notable titulaires. The instrument, built by Cavaillé-Coll but retaining all the reeds from the previous Clicquot organ, is equally suited to French Classical music as it is to French Romantic music. The magnificent oak case also dates from the original Clicquot organ and contained the only clock we had seen which actually worked! While the music of Lefébure-Wely may not be all that sophisticated, hearing it on this thrilling instrument, in the highly-ornate Baroque church only a short walk from the Paris Opera certainly helped to put the music in context. Our host was the present titulaire, Françoise Levéchin-Gangloff.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis was our final stop for the day. This former Benedictine Abbey—the first gothic building in the world—was incredibly powerful in its day and is particularly famous for being the final resting place of the French Kings. This association with French royalty, however, meant that it suffered greatly during the Revolution. One of the most damaging occurrences was the removal of the abbey’s roof (almost certainly so it could be melted down and made into other things), leaving the large and fine eighteenth-century organ open to the elements for twenty years. This organ was eventually removed in the hope that it would be restored one day, but it ended up being poorly stored and was entirely lost. It is quite likely that much of the instrument still exists in pieces throughout the organs of Paris, but we shall never know for certain.

In 1833, the French State decided to have a new organ built for this important church, and the 22-year-old Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, who had just moved from Toulouse to Paris (at the suggestion of Rossini), submitted a proposal that won the contract. The organ was eventually completed in 1841, having been delayed due to the lack of an organ case, which was the responsibility of the church’s architect. The delay, however, worked in Cavaillé-Coll’s favor because it was during this time that he met Charles Barker. Owing to the size of the instrument, the mechanical action was incredibly stiff and heavy, but the new “machine” of Charles Barker changed all this.

The Saint-Denis Cavaillé-Coll, while by no means perfect, was revolutionary in organ building and was the prototype for everything that followed, especially in Cavaillé-Coll’s own work. Not only was it the first instrument to make use of the new Barker machine, it also had the first harmonic flute and trumpet stops. That being said, Cavaillé-Coll never cited the instrument as one of which he was particularly proud.

Pierre Pincemaille has been titulaire at Saint-Denis since 1987 and is one of the greatest improvisers in the world, having studied with the legendary Pierre Cochereau. He improvised for us on the hymn tune Down Ampney, enabling us to hear the many colors of this important instrument.

Our final day in Paris began at Saint-Gervais, where everyone had the opportunity to see and play the 1768 François-Henri Clicquot organ, which retains much pipework from the c. 1680 organ of François Thierry. Here again, while several of us had the opportunity to listen to the organ during Sunday liturgy, now we all had the unique opportunity to experience the masterpiece firsthand.

That afternoon, we reconvened at the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde—set back almost out of sight except for its two spires, which can be glimpsed on the Paris skyline. A number of great organists have been associated with this famous church: César Franck, Charles Tournemire, and Jean Langlais. Sadly, very little of the organ Franck knew remains, the instrument having been electrified and, beginning with Tournemire, altered tonally to embrace the aesthetics of the new neo-classical movement. Nevertheless, it was interesting to hear the music of Tournemire and Langlais on the instrument for which it was conceived. The original Franck console is now in a museum in Belgium, having been bequeathed by Tournemire to his friend, Flor Peeters. The organ was rebuilt in 1999–2005 by former titulaire, the late Jacques Taddei, with the addition of two new consoles, a 32′ Contra Bombarde, and a Trompette-en-chamade, placed on the floor of the second gallery at the location of the old console.

And so, as our two weeks drew to a close, we arrived at the final church of our visit, Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, where Monsieur and Madame Maurice Duruflé had spent many years working and living in a small apartment just across the street. It felt especially humbling to be so “close” to these two towering figures in the world of organ music, and while we all have our favorites, I’m not sure I can think of anyone who doesn’t adore the music of Monsieur and the playing of Madame.

The church itself is very elegant—not unlike Duruflé’s music—and is home to the only rood screen (a beautiful, stone structure) and the oldest organ case in Paris, dating from 1633. Duruflé was also influenced by the neo-classical movement and this can be heard in the clear and bright sound of the instrument, making it especially good for counterpoint. After a stunning improvisation by Thierry Escaich on “Happy Birthday” (performed in honor of Donald VerKuilen’s 19th birthday), Alcee Chris performed Duruflé’s Toccata from Suite, op. 5, and Nicholas Capozzoli performed Escaich’s Évocation II for the composer.

I shall confess that writing this report has been incredibly difficult. It is almost impossible to express in words all that we experienced and learned on this amazing trip. One could easily write an entire article on just one of these churches and its rich musical and cultural heritage—we visited 31 organs in 13 days! Nevertheless, it is my hope that this overview will inspire further research—the Internet has a wealth of information and recordings of almost all the instruments we visited—and if you are able, go to France to see these masterpieces for yourself. We could not have been more warmly welcomed and it was clear that all those whom we met were very proud of their history and delighted to share it with others. Just be prepared to do LOTS of walking!