French Fête an Unforgettable Affair

On Sunday May 1, Grace Cathedral was the location for a remarkable concert that brought together the talents of orchestral musicians, the voices of the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, and the transcendent sound of the Aeolian-Skinner organ. The program was a unique presentation of works by French composers Charles-Marie Widor, Gabriel Fauré, Francis Poulenc, and César Franck.

"It was a program that people loved," says Principal Organist Susan Matthews. "It had enough that people had had heard before, wanted to hear at the cathedral, and were eager to hear in a new way."

An example of this "new" way she describes was the presentation of the Fauré Requiem. The piece was composed over a period of four years during which Fauré was grieving the death of his parents, and has been a centerpiece of church music as well as choral programming.

Canon for Music Jeffrey Smith, who conducted the concert, describes the impact of the Requiem being performed in a cathedral environment. The Fauré Requiem is often sung, but not in this version, and less often with a choir of men and boys. This arrangement with the choir of men and boys has less operatic overtones than it would if performed in a concert hall environment. It’s a beautiful setting [of the text] that hearkens back to the real liturgical use of the requiem."

The Widor Quam Dilecta was originally composed for orchestra and organ, and Canon Smith arranged the organ part to be shared by the organ and chamber orchestra that performed at the concert. The Franck setting of Psalm 150 was for orchestra (including organ) and choir. This piece was commissioned for the dedication of the organ at the Institute for the Young Blind in Paris, where Franck was a teacher.

"People really enjoyed the Poulenc organ concerto," adds Susan Matthews. "They’d heard it in recordings, or in concert halls, but they don’t often get to hear it in a sacred space. It’s written for a chamber group of strings, timpani, and organ. So it’s suited for a church budget," she laughs.

The audience at Sunday’s concert were profoundly moved by the beauty and power of the music, particularly the Fauré Requiem. Canon Smith and Susan Matthews are looking to keep the momentum of this recent concert triumph rolling. Says Matthews, "We hope that we can build on the enthusiasm that the audience had at this concert. We need people’s support in order to keep doing these concerts."

Principal Organist Susan Matthews