1741 Moucherel; 1754 Lépine organ at the Église de la Nativité de la Sainte-Vierge, Cintegabelle, France

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.

An organist’s perspective on a grand and glorious repertoire for the musical stage.

…some aural postcards from our spring visits to organs in the region from Provence to the Pyrenees.

…groups of brief, characterful movements proved a good 'recipe' for organ composers in France, and they stuck with it through centuries!

…a selective collection of organ works by composers with significant birthdays observed during this year.

…a continued exploration of beguiling concert repertoire from three centuries.

…common sense tells us that the pipe organ’s most important ‘stop’ is the room in which it speaks.

…these works on classical Greek themes remind us that it was a Greek engineer, Ctesibius, who invented the pipe organ more than 2300 years ago!

…a New Year’s survey of recent recordings, focusing on American artists and instruments.

a quarterly review of recent organ recordings, drawing from the incredible variety of new and interesting materials which are available to music lovers these days.