The great organ of the American Cathedral was built
by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in 1887 and inaugurated on
October 5 of the same year by Alexandre Guilmant.
It had 45 stops spread over 3 keyboards (GO, Positive
and Swell) and a Pedal. The instrument is placed on
a platform at the crossroads of the nave and the
transept. On the advice of Marcel Dupré, the
instrument was extended (7 new stops) and
electrified by Mutin in 1922. Later, interventions by
Convers in 1930, then by Beuchet-Debierre in 1970,
took the instrument to 62 stops. That same year,
Erwin Muller built a small organ of neo-classical
aesthetics that was installed on a tribune located at
the bottom of the nave and in the axis of it, near the
entrance to the cathedral.
Between 1992 and 1993, Bernard Dargassies
restored and expanded the organ to 72 stops by
building a new buffet which replaced the organ of
Muller. This new buffet constituted a 4th keyboard
called "Antiphonal" of 10 stops, which can be played
from the main console of the great organ. The term
Antiphonal refers to a choir organ in the USA. Here,
the Antiphonal was not placed in the choir but on a
tribune. In addition, it has an 8' chamade rank. This
small buffet of 10 stops constitutes also an
independent organ thanks to a specific console of
one keyboard located under this tribune and
allowing to play it separately. It is therefore possible,
at the console of the large organ of 4 keyboards
(main console), to play the 3 keyboards and pedals
corresponding to the main buffet as well as the
Antiphonal keyboard placed in the secondary buffet.
(Translation of a French text by Thierry
Correard)
Site of the organ
The American Cathedral of Paris is a church
dedicated to Anglican worship and serving as a
cathedral for the Convocation of Episcopal Churches
in Europe of the Episcopal Church U.S.
Opened in 1886, it was designed by the English
architect George Edmund Street, who gave it a neo-
Gothic style. It was the latter's son who added an
arrow between 1904-1906 in order to complete the
building. The church has numerous stained glass
windows (42 in total) created by master glassmaker
James Bell on the theme of the Te Deum, offering
under its vaults a magnificent atmosphere of
multicolored darkness.
(Translation of a French text by Thierry Correard)
Organiste titulaire
Andrew Dewar
Concerts
Regularly
Services with organ
Sunday 9, 11 a.m., 6 p.m.
Video
Michał Szostak
Andrew Dewar
Photos beneath: Victor Weller