Sarlat Cathedral, Dordogne

[MAB]

I will be in Sarlat in the Dordogne for a couple of weeks over the Summer, and all the guide books make a point of mentioning the splendid organ in the cathedral.

 

Google throws up a couple of recordings of C18th music, notably one by Andre Isoir of Roberday.

 

Can anyone help me with any detail on this organ ? Are there concerts over the Summer ? Is it worth making enquiries to see if I might get to play it ?

 

On a more general point, I often wonder whether there is a French equivalent of the NPOR or even RCO which could give a lead or introduction on these enquiries.

 

Any help gratefully received,

 

Many thanks,

M

[AJJ]

I will be in Sarlat in the Dordogne for a couple of weeks over the Summer, and all the guide books make a point of mentioning the splendid organ in the cathedral.

 

Google throws up a couple of recordings of C18th music, notably one by Andre Isoir of Roberday.

 

Can anyone help me with any detail on this organ ? Are there concerts over the Summer ? Is it worth making enquiries to see if I might get to play it ?

 

On a more general point, I often wonder whether there is a French equivalent of the NPOR or even RCO which could give a lead or introduction on these enquiries.

 

Any help gratefully received,

 

Many thanks,

M

 

These people might be able to help and via their website you might find the details you want:

 

http://www.ffao.com/index.htm

 

This site has a good links bit - masses to plough through if inclined - try the French section:

 

http://www.hetorgel.nl/

 

This Canadian site might also be of help:

 

http://www.uquebec.ca/musique/orgues/orguef.html

 

 

AJJ

[Guest Cynic]

I will be in Sarlat in the Dordogne for a couple of weeks over the Summer, and all the guide books make a point of mentioning the splendid organ in the cathedral.

 

Google throws up a couple of recordings of C18th music, notably one by Andre Isoir of Roberday.

 

Can anyone help me with any detail on this organ ? Are there concerts over the Summer ? Is it worth making enquiries to see if I might get to play it ?

 

On a more general point, I often wonder whether there is a French equivalent of the NPOR or even RCO which could give a lead or introduction on these enquiries.

 

Any help gratefully received,

 

Many thanks,

M

 

Just a little note to confirm that this is an organ very well worth spending time on. Mind you, the city (really a town or village, coz it's pretty small) is wonderful too.... like a total time warp. I spent some hours on the (virtually all-ancient) cathedral organ years ago before giving a recital upon it. One word of warning, don't expect that much other than French music will work comfortably on it. I included some Purcell which sounded lovely, Stanley etc. might be OK because there are so many lovely Cornets, even if the top two keyboards are distinctly odd, but take plenty of the real thing if you're going to play: Clerambault, D'Andrieu and De Gigny - fabulous!

 

Not the best old organ in France but one of the top ten IMHO.

 

Word to the wise: Unless they have cleaned the place up a lot, don't breathe in when you get to the top of the stairs to the organ tribune!! Guano* in thick layers all around if I remember. I can't spell pssiticosis, [don't even know where to start to look up the real spelling] but I hope you know what I mean.

 

[*BTW I love that word Guano. So much more chic, more high-class, more decorous than 'bird sh*t!!']

[MAB]

Thank you to everyone for their very helpful details on this one.

 

My mouth is already watering in anticipation, although I shall remember to try not to breathe at the same time as salivating when I get there.

 

Throughly agree about guano ; I seem to remember that in the original Ian Fleming novel of Dr No, the baddie has a plan to dominate the world by extracting phosphorus from the stuff on his remote island hideaway. Needless to say he gets his come uppance by suffocating in the stuff at the end, but that was the first of many occasions on which I had a chance to relish the word.

 

The Gonzalez organ at Beauvais Cathedral suffers, sadly, from the same problem, although (I suspect) not to such a degree. When playing there I was seriously tempted to have my page turner hold an umbrella over my head during the performance.

 

Thanks again,

M

[flûte harmonique]

I will be in Sarlat in the Dordogne for a couple of weeks over the Summer, and all the guide books make a point of mentioning the splendid organ in the cathedral.

 

Google throws up a couple of recordings of C18th music, notably one by Andre Isoir of Roberday.

 

Can anyone help me with any detail on this organ ? Are there concerts over the Summer ? Is it worth making enquiries to see if I might get to play it ?

 

On a more general point, I often wonder whether there is a French equivalent of the NPOR or even RCO which could give a lead or introduction on these enquiries.

 

Any help gratefully received,

 

Many thanks,

M

Composition of the Saint Sacerdos organ in the cathedral recently refurbished (2005)

 

Sarlat, cathédrale Saint Sacerdos

(Grand-Orgue)

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Orgue Lépine (1752) - Cattiaux (2005)

 

4 claviers, pédalier à la française. Transmissions mécaniques pour les notes et les jeux.

 

 

Composition :

 

 

Positif:

 

Montre 8'

Bourdon 8'

Prestant 4'

Nazard 2' 2/3

Doublette 2'

Tierce 1' 3/5

Larigot 1' 1/3

Plein-jeu VI rgs

Trompette 8'

Cromorne 8'

Grand-Orgue:

 

Bourdon 16'

Bourdon 8'

Montre 8'

Grand Nazard 5' 1/3

Prestant 4'

Grosse tierce 3' 1/5

Nazard 2' 2/3

Doublette 2'

Quarte 2'

Tierce 1' 3/5

Cornet V rgs

Fourniture V rgs

Cymbale IV rgs

Trompette 8'

Voix humaine 8'

Clairon 4'

Récit:

 

Trompette 8'

Cornet V rgs

Echo:

 

Cornet V rgs

Pédale:

 

Soubasse 16'

Flûte 8'

Flûte 4'

Nazard 2' 2/3

Quarte 2'

Tierce 1' 3/5

Trompette 8'

Clairon 4'

(ravalement au

Fa0 sans fa#)

 

 

 

Historique: Grand huit pied construit en 1752 par le facteur Jean-François Lépine élève de Dom Bedos qui fut l'expert pour la réception de l'instrument et en fit un rapport élogieux. Le buffet est décrit dans l'ouvrage de N. Dufourcq Le livre de l'orgue français: positif et grand orgue placés sur un piédouche en nid d'hirondelle au mur du fond de la grande nef, au dessus du portail d'entrée.

 

Remerciements: Bernard Podevin, Gaël Tardivel.

 

 

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[Mark Taylor]

Another couple of sites which may be of interest:

 

http://frederic.chapelet.free.fr/trouvorgfr.htm

 

International Organ Foundation

[Guest Andrew Butler]

Slightly off-topic (but directly related)

 

Does anyone have details of who/how to contact regarding access to this and other French cathedral organs? May be useful to anyone likely to be in France. I am particularly interested (as I shall be near all of them this year) in Poitiers, Angouleme, Limoges and Nice. And not a million miles from Sarlat come to think of it!

[contrabordun]

Shouldn't that be Montre de 243.8cm?

[innate]

Shouldn't that be Montre de 243.8cm?

The cm is not a scientific unit (SI) and should be reserved for domestic use.

[PF Baron]

Slightly off-topic (but directly related)

 

Does anyone have details of who/how to contact regarding access to this and other French cathedral organs? May be useful to anyone likely to be in France. I am particularly interested (as I shall be near all of them this year) in Poitiers, Angouleme, Limoges and Nice. And not a million miles from Sarlat come to think of it!

 

The best would be to phone or write to the churches and ask for the possibility to contact the organist.

[Phil T]

The cm is not a scientific unit (SI) and should be reserved for domestic use.

 

International Standard (SI) units and scientific notation are two separate things. The International Standard (SI) unit for length is the meter. In scientific notation it’s convention to use 10x10 to 0 (unit), 10x10-3 (milli), 10x10-6 (micro), 10x10-9 (nano) etc, so you’re right, cm isn’t scientific notation, but then this isn’t science.

 

[Guest Andrew Butler]

The best would be to phone or write to the churches and ask for the possibility to contact the organist.

 

 

I know that!

 

Just me trying to be lazy and cut corners!