AES Paris 2016
Monday, June 6, 19:30 — 21:00 (Off-site 1)
Organ Concert
Saint Etienne du Mont Church
Place Sainte-Geneviève, 75005 Paris.
Graham Blyth, Challow Park - Wantage, Oxfordshire, UK
Francis Rumsey, Logophon Ltd. - Oxfordshire, UK
Abstract:
Saint Etienne du Mont Church
Buses will be leaving Palais des Congres at 19:00. Concert will be 19:45 to 21:15 followed by buses back to Palais des Congres.
Organists – Graham Blyth and Francis Rumsey
Saint-Etienne du Mont Church stands on the site of an abbey founded by Clovis and later dedicated to Ste Geneviève, the patroness of Paris. Such was the fame of this popular saint that the abbey proved too small to accommodate the pilgrimage crowds. Now part of the Lycée Henri IV, the Tour de Clovis (Tower of Clovis) is all that remains of the ancient abbey - you can see the tower from rue Clovis. Today the task of keeping Ste Geneviève's cult alive has fallen on the Saint-Etienne du Mont Church which almost adjoins the Panthéon. Building began in 1492 and was plagued by delays until it's final completion in 1626. The architectural style of the church is unique in Paris, the result of the transition period between flamboyant gothic and renaissance. Inside the intricate and ornate 16th century choirscreen is the only example still in a church in Paris.
The organ case is the oldest one in Paris and is still in its original state, it was carved and built in 1631 by Jehan Buron. The organ itself has seen several transformations: an earlier 1772 four manual Cliquot instrument was completely revised in 1873 by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll who added a 16' Bombarde to the Grand Orgue, reduced the number of manuals to 3 and built a new 42-note Récit. Most of the old pipework was retained, mainly all Positif pipework; it was a 39-stop instrument. On this occasion, the organ was inaugurated with the participation of César Franck. Ten years later, Cavaillé-Col came back to improve his work. A major alteration was completed in 1956 by Beuchet-Debierre based on instructions by Maurice Duruflé and it is now a 90 stop instrument. Titular organist from 1929 until his death in 1986, Maurice Duruflé was also a notable composer, the use of his Pie Jesu by Michael Jackson in a prelude to a song on his album HIStory in 1995 may, or may not, have amused him.
Program to include:
Marchand: Grand Dialogue in C
Bonnet: Variations de Concert
Lefébure-Wely: Sortie in E flat
Franck: Chorale no. 3 in E minor
Messiaen: Dieu Parmi Nous
Challow Park Studios, Oxfordshire, UK, is sponsoring this concert
