First weekend in Paris

I attended one choral concert, and three liturgies on Saturday and Sunday, Feb 16, 17.

Serendipity prevails again: no websites yielded any concerts. Yet, as my pracitce, the day of arrival I purchase my subway pass, and go to each of the main churches to look for posters: Notre Dame (organist Pierre Liguaey sp), St. Eustache (Jean Gilliou), Trinite )Naji Hakim), and St Sulpice (Daniel Roth). While not on the web site, I found a [poster for a concert at St. Eustache on Friday night: Requiem, by Karl Jenkins, perormed by the Dutch Chamber Choir. Perfect! $30, 8:30, and at 8:25 the place was still practically empty. Gads. In the last minutes however, the "crowd" tripled - to about 90 people in an enomous place. Mostly people tavelling with the choir. Anyway, it was an interesting concert, and literature I will look into further as i heard the talented voices of NLC doing it in a very different way. The compositional stlyle was kind of a mix between Faure, Andrew Loyd Weber, Philip Glass, and the guy who did the musical score for the movie "Let Choristes".

Saturday, again serendipity: I was relatively near Notre Dame, when the bells starting going nuts. That usually means a liturgy, so I stood in the huge line (always the case there) to get in the one small door, and experienced a beautful and very simple Evening Prayer service, in spite of the huge crowd of people constantly moving through the edges of the room in a huge line of people. Simple Psalm tones, simple organ improvisations between each, beautifully done. It was as if the chaos of the world had moved INTO the sanctuary - probably a couple thousand people and their sounds at any time moving counter-clockwise though the outer aisles of the space, and nevertheless, corporate prayer can occur anyway. I was grateful.

Sunday morning I attended St. Eustache for the 11:00 am Eucharist, hoping to hear the enormously inspiring work of Jean Gilliou at the organ. Normally, the services is preceeded by a piece of literature (such as Bach), then a 10 minute improvisation which flows into a procession. This kind of sequence happened, but Jean Gillou was not the organist, Francesco Fideli was. Never heard of him. He was wonderful, but did not step out to the edge the way that Jean Gilliou does. The "form" was followed, however, a Bach prelude, followed by an improvision. This liturgy, the second week of Lent, was subdued, but nevertheless, beautiful. A Kyrie setting of Andre Campra was sung by the choir (as was Sanctus and Agnus Dei). I love the juxtaposition of these improvisations on the orgran leading into the procession, at which point the choir then sings an historic setting of a Mass. Something to do more of at home. The liturgy was OK but I have to say: I miss Mount Olive. Almost all of the organ music was Bach. Lutherans haven taken over Parisian Catholicisim? Say it ain't so! Anyway, I feared a French era may have passed, as Jean Gilliou was known for almost never being away on Sundays. (Sorry, Mount O - difference there already....) I feared his well being.

There was to be an afternoon concert at Notre Dame - posters all over the space said so, and that Pierre Leguay was to play. At 4:30, the line to get in was HUGE, and the place filled up. "How encouraging" I thought. Wrong. If I had looked more thoroughly, I would have seen another set of posters advertising a special Lenten lecture series at 4:30 instead of the organ recital. Ick. I left.

Back to St. Eustache where is usually an organ recital at 5:30 before the "organ Eucharist" at 6. The morning service folder said that Francesco Fideli was also playing this, even though posters all over the church, AND THE WEBSITE had stated that Jean Gillou was playing. I heard an announcement in the morning made but only understanding the words "Monsieur Gilliou" and "Excuse" so I assumed he was sick that day or something like that and wasn't there.

But he was! The 6:00 pm Eucharist is preceeded by a half hour recital. All Bach. He does fascinating things to Bach - changing sounds almost every phrase, and playing with fascinating articulation. Interesting, but odd. I like it. There was no huge improvisation for the procession, but after the Psalm, Sermon, during Offering, and Distribution he played improvisaitons. All Phenominal. Then he did another at the postlude and I thought was would shake with excitement! I don't know how he does all that he does at the keyboard - movement that is dizzying, yet I never sense he does not have control of what's going on.

A great day. I capped it off with a fabulous dinner at Pastor Heisley's and my favorite Paris Eatery: Le Petit Prince. Fabulous food. Interesting situation: very close to my left, a French couple. Intertwined in the corner table, and so close to each other I prayed they each had OK breath. The only sounds I could hear was muffled kissing. (!!) To my right, a table of German people. A very intellectual conversation, full of "what I think" commentary. Hearing the German, and French made me feel a bit confused, but I could understand both. Is there a middle ground with these cultures?! Yes: Mount Olive. Me?

I'm reminded, though, why I think Pastor Heisly and I are so enamored with the French. They LIVE the Gospel: "Here, have some bread, and have some wine. And here is the main thing: LOVE one another." Can it be more simple? Life in Christ, and it's fun.