The 1891 Casavant Frères organ, Opus 26 & 1034
in the Notre-Dame Basilica, Montréal

The Nave of the Basilica Cathedral of
Marie-Reine-du-Monde in Montréal

Pipedreams 2008 Tour

Historic Organs of Québec May 17 – 30

A Canadian Caper? Why not, since the elements for which all previous Pipedreams tours were notable also can be found just north of the border:

A foreign country, with the exoticism of a different language, customs and cuisine.
A sense of antiquity, since the earliest Canadian pioneer settlements and religious foundations date back to the mid 1600s.
A variety of exceptional pipe organs in architecturally and geographically interesting settings. Plus no trans-oceanic jet lag!

For Reservations contact: Accolades International Tours for the Arts at 800-747-2255, ext 133 or email Janet Tollund. (Tour inquiries only please) You can also fill out the Reservation Application found on the last page of our Tour Brochure.

Go to Orgues au Québec [Organs in Québec], and discover that though Canada’s organists are not so numerous as here in the USA, they are remarkably organized! What a catalogue of riches. The oldest surviving Canadian organ dates from 1854, and the most recent will be under construction when we visit two busy organ workshops in Saint Hyacinthe. Though the newer Canadian organs are very up-to-date, several recent projects replicate esthetics of the 1700s.

Casavant Frères, Ltd., Canada’s largest and longest-lived organ builder, evolved from the early efforts of Joseph Casavant (1807-1874) and is directly descended from the company established in 1879 by his sons Samuel (1850-1929) and Claver (1855-1933). The Casavants were not the first in this business, as the historic work of Samuel Warren, Eusebe Brodeur, Louis Mitchell, and Napoléon Déry reminds, nor are they alone today, as recent work by Karl Wilhelm, Hellmuth Wolff, Guilbault- Thérien, Juget-Sinclair and others proves.

I love visiting in Québec Province, with its blend of French and English cultures, and know that you will enjoy our journey. As always, this tour is organ-centric, with a rewarding music-rich itinerary and full schedule. We will visit our share of generic historic sites, but if you require a day for art museums or shopping, please arrange to come early or stay longer. And pack your comfortable shoes, since our coach cannot always bring you directly to the church door, and a degree of often strenuous walking is inevitable.

I hope that you will be able to join me for our Pipedreams 2008 Tour of Québec. Your memory-bank will be the richer afterwards.