The singers were not visible, but they filled the grand dark space of the Church of Saint-Eustache in Paris with music like disembodied angels. They walked in slow procession through the corridors to a makeshift stage, where they revealed themselves: the men, women and children of the choir at Notre Dame Cathedral.
More than two and a half years ago, fire destroyed Notre Dame, the most visited church in the world and the most visited monument in France. The heroic task of restoring the medieval masterpiece was delayed by the pandemic, but the French president has promised the cathedral will reopen in time for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
The musical tradition of Notre Dame is as old as the cathedral itself; its origins go back to the 12th century.
But since the fire, the cathedral’s former music school and its choirs, called the Maîtrise de Notre Dame, have struggled financially. The government eliminated the funds; the school lost a third of its annual budget of €2 million (almost R$13 million) and had to lay off most of its staff and musicians.
“We went through a period of deep mourning, but now we are motivated by the certainty that Notre Dame will one day reopen,” said Yves Castagnet, master organist who played at Notre Dame for 33 years. “Meanwhile, our mission is to preserve and spread the spirit of our great cathedral beyond its walls. We are now the city’s sound ambassadors.”
Musicians today present themselves as a traveling orchestra. The tourists —whether faithful or not— who made the cathedral a place of pilgrimage were abandoned. The sense of loss is especially acute during the Christmas holidays, when midnight Rooster Mass was also a glorious concert of organ and choir. But there’s a way to replace the joy and comfort once found in Notre Dame: follow the music.
The closing of the cathedral opened for many visitors a world unknown even to Parisians: the city’s more than one hundred churches. Some attract master organists and choirs, who perform concerts at pre-set or impromptu times — especially around the Christmas season.
The cultural scene in Paris has come to life this fall, but now the uncertainty of the omicron variant has cast a long shadow over the city. Entry into all closed environments requires the presentation of a health passport (proof of vaccination or a negative test). Masks must be worn indoors.
The French government has decided to keep most public spaces open, including restaurants, bars, museums and churches, during the holidays, but it is advisable to check if any events have been cancelled.
Many churches in Paris have organs (and organists) of extraordinary musicality, even when they don’t have a choir. Almost 20 churches throughout the city have organs made by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, a master organ builder from the 19th century whose innovations gave rise to a new era of instrument construction and sound. Notre Dame’s has been repaired since the fire.
Churches are free and open to the public — but it is customary to take a €2 coin to put in a donation box. Concerts that are presented, but not organized, by churches charge tickets, and it is best to book in advance.
Five Parisian churches house the Maîtrise while Notre Dame is under reconstruction. One of the oldest in the city, Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, is a 15-minute walk along the right bank of the Seine and opposite the Louvre Museum. The cathedral’s religious services were moved there during the renovation, along with some concerts.
The Virgin of the Pillar, the most important statue of Our Lady to which people went to pray in Notre Dame, is on display here, as is one of the most beautiful church organs in Paris—a 32-record masterpiece built in 1771 by François -Henri Clicquot. He is undergoing restoration but should be ready for Christmas.
“Our repertoire is alive — we present music that dates back 800 years and contemporary pieces that look to the future, Gregorian chants and requiens, French baroque and German classical music,” said Henri Chalet, director of the Maîtrise de Notre Dame.
Accompanied by Maîtrise, Vespers from 5:45 pm Monday to Saturday and Mass from Sunday at 6:30 pm are broadcast on the Catholic television channel on YouTube.
But Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois is too small to present concerts with the great choirs of the Maîtrise, who are struggling to find other churches in Paris willing to host them. About twice a month, they perform elsewhere, especially at two of the city’s best-known churches, both about 1.5 km away: Saint-Eustache, near the Forum des Halles, on the right bank, and Saint-Sulpice (larger than Notre Dame), in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, on the left bank.
Saint-Eustache is considered a jewel of the French Renaissance, but also a mini-Notre Dame. Its interior — including the perpendicular nave and transept and lateral and radial chapels — was inspired by the great Gothic cathedral. With extraordinary acoustics, it hosts concerts regularly. Sunday Mass at 11 am features the church choir and organist Thomas Ospital; there is also an organ concert on sundays at 5pm.
The church, which features groups other than Maîtrise, will be the site of two scheduled classical music concerts later in the year, one on New Year’s Eve and the other on January 1st.
Saint-Sulpice is a late Baroque building built on the foundations of a 13th-century Romanesque church. If you appreciate the 19th-century painter Eugène Delacroix, this is the place to go: two of his paintings and a ceiling fresco adorn the church. And she is equally famous for her organ.
The 6,600-tube instrument of Saint-Sulpice, built by Cavaillé-Coll, is considered one of the most fabulous instruments in Paris. The brilliance of its construction is matched by the excellent acoustics of the church.
Saint-Sulpice’s master organist Daniel Roth has fans who worship him. On most Sundays, it starts playing 15 minutes before 11am Mass and continues afterwards with a beloved 30-minute concert, mixing styles and attracting organ lovers from around the world.
Notre Dame choirs are also performing at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, a Gothic structure in the Latin Quarter high on a hill that honors Sainte Genevieve, the protector of Paris. Her mystical faith, fasts and negotiating skills would have prevented Attila the Hun from invading the city in the 5th century.
Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is best known for having the only high choir from the 16th century, an intricately carved, wide-arched division that serves as a decorative barrier between the altar and the congregation.
Then there’s its 17th-century organ, considered one of the finest in Paris, updated by Cavaillé-Coll in 1863 and restored several years ago.
Finally, Notre Dame choirs can be heard from time to time in Saint-Séverin, also in the Latin Quarter — not far from Notre Dame and the Shakespeare & Company bookstore. Saint-Séverin was built in the late Gothic style in the 11th century; as well as Notre Dame, its exterior features the typical gargoyles and flying buttresses.
Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves
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