The American Church in Paris, established in 1857 on the banks of the Seine at 65, quai d'Orsay, is my favorite Sunday haunt. It’s a non-denominational Protestant church with a very fine preacher and organ/organist, choir, program and building. It seems to be the home of English-speaking expatriates from all over the world – I’ve rarely seen a more racially mixed congregation. People are very friendly and they have a coffee hour after the service each Sunday. They also host concerts on many Sunday afternoons and have extensive services (a job board, housing announcements, classes, discussion groups, etc.) for English speaking people.
This weekend and next they’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of the installation of their magnificent Beckerath pipe organ with a series of special recitals. This evening Pascal Marsault, a French organist who, as a student at The Paris Conservatory practiced on the ACP organ (and even rang in their adult handbell choir), gave a spectacular (free!) recital of music by Bach, Dupré, Couperin, Alain, Messiaen, de Grigny, Bruhns and Widor. Attendees perused photographs, drawings, letters and donor lists from the building and installation of the organ as they sipped champagne or juice in the theatre adjacent to the sanctuary after the recital.
Mr. Marsault had just played the opening passage of the Bach Toccata & Fugue in D Minor, and in that very short moment of silence before it jumps down an octave, a police car drove by outside, siren blaring! The ee-ooo ee-ooo ee-ooo of the siren wasn’t EXACTLY in D Minor, but it was close! A few chuckles were heard in the audience (and maybe even some from the organ bench).
This weekend and next they’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of the installation of their magnificent Beckerath pipe organ with a series of special recitals. This evening Pascal Marsault, a French organist who, as a student at The Paris Conservatory practiced on the ACP organ (and even rang in their adult handbell choir), gave a spectacular (free!) recital of music by Bach, Dupré, Couperin, Alain, Messiaen, de Grigny, Bruhns and Widor. Attendees perused photographs, drawings, letters and donor lists from the building and installation of the organ as they sipped champagne or juice in the theatre adjacent to the sanctuary after the recital.
Mr. Marsault had just played the opening passage of the Bach Toccata & Fugue in D Minor, and in that very short moment of silence before it jumps down an octave, a police car drove by outside, siren blaring! The ee-ooo ee-ooo ee-ooo of the siren wasn’t EXACTLY in D Minor, but it was close! A few chuckles were heard in the audience (and maybe even some from the organ bench).
But I was brought to tears by the Allegro (first movement) of Charles-Marie Widor’s Organ Symphony #6. You probably all know the majestic and triumphant Tocatta from his Organ Symphony #5 – if you’re lucky enough to be at a church with a good organ and organist it might just be the postlude at your Easter service. But, oh, my goodness, the sixth symphony. Wow. If the fifth brings images of Christ’s resurrection, the sixth evokes images (at least for me) of our own resurrections on “the last day.” Christ descends with a commanding loud exclamation, souls start rumbling and emerging from their deep graves, they dance with great joy while rising higher and higher, bones start clicking (I’ll have to ask my organist friends how this clicking sound is created during some rapid passage work on the wooden pipes), there are some passages that sound like final battles, and then the movement ends with glorious and victorious confidence. And so shall we ever be with the Lord!
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