Handel, Mendelssohn (and Mozart) @ Saint-Eustache – Sunday, 1 October

the view from my chair

With 8,000 pipes, the organ at Saint-Eustache, my little (ha ha) neighborhood church, is reputed to be the largest pipe organ in France. Free half-hour recitals are given there almost every Sunday afternoon, and today the organist was the 30-year-old Virgile Monin, a graduate of the Conservatoire de Nantes and winner of major organ prizes in France and Luxembourg.

Mr. Monin played Jean Guillou’s transcription for solo organ of the Allegro from Handel’s Concerto in G minor Op.4 No.1 and his own transcription of Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides Overture.  I particularly liked his Hebrides – those dark opening chords, the swells, the drama, the moments of calm, the beautiful melodies – I thought that they all fit very well for the organ and this very resonant space. And his playing was spectacular!

part of the crowd

The place was packed, and hopefully everyone contributed a few euros at the exit. According to the program, last year the parish of Saint-Eustache spent 53,000 euros on the organ’s maintenance in addition to its usual tuning!

Mozart’s mother Maria traveled with him to Paris on a concert trip in 1778, and they stayed in this neighborhood. Sadly, she died while they were here. Her funeral? It was at Saint-Eustache. So come for the music or come for the beauty or come for the spirit or come to catch some Mozart vibe, just come!

Glorious Music @ ACP – Sunday, 1 October

As I’ve reported before, The American Church in Paris is my favorite Sunday haunt. On the banks of the Seine in the 7th arrondissement just downstream from the spectacular Pont Alexandre III and the Esplenade des Invalides, this nondenominational Protestant church established in 1814 draws people from all over the world whose first or second language is English – I have never seen a more racially diverse congregation anywhere. It’s always packed, and today there were even people filling the benches in the side aisles. They have a variety of terrific music programs in addition to solid preaching and study groups and outreach programs and superb post-service coffee!

This morning their Angel and Spirit Choirs (the youngest children) sang “I am a Child of God” by N.W. Randall and M.T. Pettit. The anthem started with four tiny singers singing sections of the first verse in succession – sweet little voices, and right square on pitch.  Wow!

Then their handbell choir played "Peal con brio" by Karen Thompson between the Psalm and the Epistle. They did it from memory, but not as a processional like the intrepid ringers in this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAm2WjpjUD4  Handbellers, if you don't know it, get yourself a copy!  https://www.jwpepper.com/Peal-con-Brio/10366170.item#/submit

Finally, for the offertory the adult choir sang a stunningly simple and moving anthem called "This Gift is Free" written by Fred Gramman, their music director and organist (who has been there since 1976 – he moved to Paris in 1972 for organ study with Marie-Claire Alain and Maurice Duruflé). I talked with Fred after the service and asked whether this anthem has been published. Yes indeed it has, by ECS Publishing. He asked if I would like a copy – hoo boy, would I ever! – and not only did he find one for me, he gave me his own marked-up copy! I scored the score! It's based on Isaiah 55 – so appropriate for World Communion Sunday today.  Choir people, check it out and buy some copies for your choir! http://www.canticledistributing.com/this-gift-is-free.html  For more about Fred: http://www.acparis.org/pastors-a-music-directors/187-fred-gramann-music-director

http://acparis.org/