Seems funny to call Paris "home" but during these two weeks over here, that's how it feels. My jaunt south was fun, but it was nice to get back to familiarity. Although it is as one writer said it was: like going from solitude into being plopped directly into the busiest ant hill there is. "Move it, or loose it" is the motto here!
St. Suplice
I attended the morning Eucharist at St. Sulpice. This is the church where Charles Marie Widor and Marcel Dupre served as organists. The practice at St. Sulpice is to begin with a 15 minute organ prelude before the mass, then the mass, then a half-hour organ recital. The associate organist was on deck today, Sophie-Veronique Chaushefir-Choplin. (all of that really is her name, although I had better check that spelling). The prelude was a 15 minute improvisation which was very interesting - some ideas for me to adopt. I really like the idea of improvisation as the last part of the prelude - introducing the entire liturgy in the same way I introduce each hymn: announcing the spirit of the liturgy in a very custom-fit and unique way. This can follow literature. The custom here seems to be to build to a full organ everytime - I don't imagine that would be my practice, although over here it's exciting!
The liturgy . . . well . . . first of all - way too much chattering at us. For those of us without a clue what was being said, I want to yell: shut up! Let the liturgy do the speaking. They also didn't follow the order of the mass too carefully, which made it hard for me to jump in - and there were no service folders. They handed out hymnals, but we only sang from them once - and then only the refrain. I had to try to look over someone's shoulder to see where it was. The choir was , well . . . from the heart. (!!!) The practice of a person singing into a mic when it's our time to sing also is irritating. All we sang was refrains - bottom line is I got the feeling they felt we were all idiots there. And, service folders are important!
I did understand the lesson, however: the woman at the well . Very interesting to hear in another language. The sermon lost me again, but that's OK.
Throughout the service and recital in addition to improvisations, she played music by Bedard (a Canadian!), Mendelssohn, Ropartz, d'Indy and the last recital piece was another improvisation. Loved it all, but it didn't sent chills down my spine, or draw me in like Guillou does at St Eustache, my next stop of the day.
St. Eustache
After figuring out how to do the laundry mat thing (including unintentionally dumping a bunch of laundry soap all over the floor, and no broom to pick it up.....), I went to St. Eustache for their evening recital at 5:30, followed by the Mass led by the Grand Orgue.
Here, as well, the associate organist was on deck for the day: Francesco Filidei. For the recital he played works by Jacques Lenot (never heard of him), and Yves Chauris (also unknown), and Bach's Sonate in trio of the Musical Offering, transcribed by Jean Guillou. The first two were bleeps and blobs contemporary pieces. Very odd, but interesting. The Bach was also interesting - in Guillou's interpretation of Bach on the organ - full of varying colors.
This liturgy is much easier to enter into. They follow the order, and provide service folders with music we need to sing. The Kyrie was "Orbis Factor", and Sanctus ELW Setting 4 - it's fun to sing in Latin - as a foreigner one can see how Latin really is a middle ground for all of us.
His improvisations during the liturgy were wonderfully wild and interesting! He is definately under the influence of his superior, Jean Guillou - although I don't sense as much control in the wildness as Guillou.
A great day in Paris, again, and the weather was stunning.
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Experiences in churches and concerts during my 2008 sabbatical
