1868 Cavaillé-Coll organ at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France

Nol a la Française

The world is filled with joyful music at Christmas time, and nowhere is the music more exuberant than in the organ lofts of France. Beginning already in the 1600s, the tradition of holiday organ concerts grew to be so popular that in some places the French clergy outlawed them-their ‘dulci jubilo’ having swung a bit to far into the jubilo end of things. But why not? Even the angelic hosts would smile at the joyous works of Jean Guillou, Pierre Cochereau, Jean-Francois Dandrieu and the others, whose genius enlivens the vaults of Notre Dame Cathedral and other churches in Marseilles, Thiérache and Rouen and whose music brightens every corner during this remarkable season. Philippe Gueit, Andre Isoir, and Rene Oberson also play their part in this Pipedreams pageant.

Program Broadcast dates:

• December 13, 1999

Featured Organs:

Music played in the program

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GIGOUT: Rhapsodie sur des Noëls –Philippe Gueit (1868 Cavaillé-Coll/Church of Saint Joseph, Marseille, France) Sonpact CD-90225

LANGLAIS: Noël breton –René Oberson (1992 Ayer-Morel/Saint Laurence Collegiate Church, Estavayer-le-lac, Switzerland) Gallo CD-700\

DUPRÉ: Variations on Adeste fidelis –John Scott Whiteley (1890 Cavaillé- Coll/Church of Saint Ouen, Rouen, France) Priory CD-619

GUILLOU: Rondo-Improvisation on The First Noël; Divertimento-Improvisation on Joy to the World –Jean Guillou (1988 Kleuker-Steinmeyer/Tonehalle, Zürich, Switzerland) Dorian CD-90119

DANDRIEU: Noël Variations. BROSSARD: Kyrie, from Missa pro Tempore Nativitatis Domini –Ensemble Parlement de Musique; Martin Gester (1714 Boizard/Abbey Church, Saint Michel en Thiérache, France) Temperaments CD-316005

HURÉ: Pour la communion d’une messe de minuit a Noël –André Isoir (1967 Kern/Church of Saint-Brice d’Ay, France) Calliope CD-9933

COCHEREAU: Variations sur un noël (homage to Marcel Dupré) –Pierre Cochereau (1868 Cavaillé-Coll/Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France) Solstice CD- 152