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Celebrating the pipe organ, the King of Instruments

[1741 Moucherel; 1754 Lepine organ at the Eglise de la Nativite de la Sainte-Vierge, Cintegabelle, France]
1741 Moucherel; 1754 Lépine organ at the Cintegabelle Monastery, France

Mass Appeal

The pipe organ’s participation in religious worship has been an important facet of its tradition. This week, we’ll explore one of those traditions, the organ’s role in the sacred liturgy of the French Mass. From the colorful registrations used by Nicolas DeGrigny in his 17th century versets to the provocative images of Olivier Messiaen, the voice of the pipe organ adds immeasurably to the enhancement and the elevation of spiritual consciousness.

Program Broadcast dates:

Links and Resources:

Music played in the program

LOUIS VIERNE: Kyrie, from Messe solennelle in c#, Opus 16 –Notre Dame Cathedral Choirs, Jehan Revert, conductor; Pierre Cochereau (1868 Cavaillé-Coll/Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France) Solstice CD-914

GABRIEL FAURÉ: Kyrie, from Messe Basse –Andrew Brunt, treble; Choir of Saint John’s College, George Guest; Stephen Cleobury (1994 Mander/St. John College Chapel, Cambridge, England, UK) London/Decca 430 360

CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR: Sanctus et Benedictus, from Mass in f#, Opus 36 –Altenberg Cathedral; Kantorei, Gürzenich Choir, Cologne; German-French Choir of Cologne; Total Vokal, Dortmund Volker Hempfling, conductor; Andreas Meisner, Paul Wisskirchen (1980 Klais/Altenberger Dom, Germany) Motette CD MOT 40181

NICOLAS de GRIGNY: 5 verses of the Kyrie from La Messe
#1, Premiere Kyrie en taille a 5 –André Isoir (1790 Clicquot/Cathedral of Saint Peter, Poitiers, France) Calliope CD-9911/12;
#2, Fugue a 5Michel Chapuis (1752 Valtrin; 1848 Callinet; 1971 Schwenkedel/Basilique Saint-Christophe, Belfort, France) Astrée CD-7725;
#3, Cromorne en taille –Pierre Bardon (1775 Isnard/Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Sainte-Maximin la Sainte-Baume, France) Pierre Verany CD-790031;
#4, Trio en dialogueSylvain Ciaravolo (1677 Delauney; 1982 Grenzing/St. Pierre de Chartreux, Toulouse, France) ADDA CD-581251
#5, Dialogue sur les Grands JeuxAndré Isoir (1790 Clicquot/Cathedral of Saint Peter, Poitiers, France) Calliope CD-9911/12

ERIK SATIE: Kyrie, from Messe des Pauvres –Munich Madrigal Choir; Elisabeth Sperer, Winfried Englhardt (1952 Steinmeyer, 1984 Albiez/St. Ursula Church, Munich-Schwabing, Germany) FSM CD-97735

NICOLAS de GRIGNY: Suite in F, from La Messe1st Sanctus en Taille; Fugue, Communion-Dialogue; Dialogue a 2 tailles, Agnus-Dialogue –Ensemble Alternatim, chant; Bernard Coudurier (1741 Moucherel; 1754 Lépine/Église de la Nativité de la Sainte-Vierge, Cintegabelle, France) BNL 112812

JEAN-YVES DANIEL-LESUR: Kyrie, from Messe du Jubilé –BBC Symphony Chorus, Stephen Jackson; Jeremy Filsell (1991 Mander/St. Giles Cripplegate, London, England, UK) ASV CD-900

AYMÉ KUNC: Kyrie, from Messe de Sainte-Cécile –Midi-Pyrénées Regional Choir, Alix Bourbon; Yasuko Uyama-Bouvard (1864 Cavaillé-Coll/Jesu Church, Toulouse, France) Solstice CD-164

OLIVIER MESSIAEN: Communion, Les Oiseaux et les Sources from Messe de la PentecoteDame Gillian Weir (1929; 1993 Frobenius/Århus Domkirke [Århus Cathedral], Denmark) Priory PRCD923

JEAN LANGLAIS: Kyrie ‘Orbis Factor’, from Livre OecuméniqueJean Langlais (1859 Cavaillé-Coll/Basilique Sainte-Clotilde, Paris, France) Solstice CD-01

Filler –LOUIS VIERNE: Kyrie (see above)