On the good news thread I asked @Shiba what her good news was in response to her less than enthusiastic post of the service in the cathedral. In fact, I agree with her. I think a huge opportunity was missed. France has some absolutely wonderful organ music. If I understand correctly, the four organists were extemporising and it sounded largely like they were just doing practice scales. Mind you, I thought the Archbishop did well with singing his responses to the organ.
Also, I thought the choice of liturgical music through much of the service was remarkably boring. No wonder members of the congregation were dozing and yawning. The joy for them was just being there and looking up and looking round at the beauty of the building.
It was a wonderful moment when that great organ started to play, but (to my mind) such a wasted moment.
in 1973 as a 13 year old in my school chapel choir I got to sing evensong in Notre Dame. Our choir did a regular tour of northern France & I went 3 times during my 7 years in the choir, but we only did the ND gig that one time.
The service we sang at followed a major organ recital & the place was packed, although it was hard to tell in the general catholic gloom of the place - what a difference the restoration has made.
The massive, body punching power of the great organ is something I will never forget. I’m still convinced that the organist was wearing a cloak & making more extravagant actions than were actually required; it was all very Phantom of the Opera. If I wasn’t otherwise inclined the power of that sound would have easily beaten me into religious submission.
What a difference the restoration seems to have made! The interior looks joyful and filled with light, not the gloomy vault I remember.
I didn’t have such an extreme reaction as others, although we just had it on in the background most of the time. None of it thrilled me but it was a shame that the weather made the last minute changes necessary as that killed the atmosphere a bit. Brave Angelique Kidjo singing Jerusalema in a howling gale with no backing singers or dancers - or audience.
And all the time given to the pompiers and artisans was good. In the first section to receive applause from 50 heads of State must have been a big moment for them. And then to have the interviews.
I did find the son et lumière bit underwhelming - but I think my attitude to S&L has changed as now skilled technician and projector rather than the careful positioning of thousands of lights. Certainly for me didn’t have electro-dance feeling to it.
Not sure they had much choice. Apparently negotiations about what could be said and done inside the Cathedral were complex. Not least allowing Macron to speak.
Yep, full marks and more to the restoration team. It looks amazing. Now that it is clean and bright, I am eager to visit whereas before, I always found it dull - yes a spectacular place, but dull.
I am certainly curious as I, and probably none of us, have experienced any cathedral as it might have been when they were first built. I suppose the frauenkirche in Dresden is the same way, but not a Gothic cathedral.
I’d love to know what Trump really thought of it all! He sat there with the same expression throughout.
Our highlights were the enthusiastically smiling face of one of the girl choristers, just left of the conductor, Lang Lang’s barnstorming performance, and Beethoven’s 5th, still amazing even after hearing it 100’s of times. The young girl’s singing of Fauré was very pure, but unfortunately her facial expression, or lack of it, spoilt it a bit.
I often fail to be at all awestruck by structures built for Christian worshippers.
I am however very much moved by Islamic architecture as seen in Andalucia with their geometric patterned tiling.
I like the Alcazar more than the Alhambra though the latter’s gardens are magnificent. Then there is the Mesquita at Cordoba. Exquisite.
I would love to visit Iran to see more of these examples of Islamic architecture and one hears the people are very hospitable too, but sadly the régime rules it out for me.
Not true. I remember a trip from school in the late 50s up to Coventry Cathedral - just wonderful, and again, full of light.
I think I know…
I think I know what Brigitte thought of him! She was really restless.
I went to Chartres shortly after the interior had been cleaned and thought this is how it must have looked; for the first time in centuries one could appreciate the quality of the stone carving whose details had been hidden beneath dirt and soot, More importantly though was how it really enhanced my practical understanding of mediaeval aestheticians prioritising light over form. For the first time I could appreciate how the multi-coloured rays of light from the stained glass windows illuminated the pale stone. Hopefully something similar will be visible at Notre-Dame on a sunny day, though for a super intense stained glass experience nearby Sainte-Chapelle is hard to beat
Would love to have been present if only to physically feel, as well as hear the great organ coming back to life, Instead, watched the TF2 broadcast with french subtitles; realised I was automatically translating some of these into English and then into Latin, the latter being more familiar due to early education at the hands of the Sisters of Mercy. If still a practising Catholic, I’d probably opt for the Tridentine Mass, over local vernacular ones because it was truly international.
From the very brief shots I’ve seen on the BBC news I have to say pretty much the same thought.
As for what a certain president elect though - I did reply but then decided it would be better to keep this thread purely about Notre Dame.
I went to Royan Cathedral probably less than 20 years after it was built, and it may well have influenced my eventual design career. Went back a few years ago and needs better maintenance. Also Imre Makovecz’ s church (not sure if a cathedral) in Paks not long after it was finished.
I’m not religious but adore sacred spaces - and travel a long way to see them. One of the attractions of our area are the sprinkling of delightful romanesque churches.
I liked that too - a very good moment.
Yes he was a bit free with the hands too. I almost thought he was going in for a snog at one stage.
I see this was done in 2009, a few years after I visited. I will have to go back.
Maybe that’s when it began, but I remember visiting a few years later and only one half of the interior had been cleaned (unfortunately can’t find those ‘before and after’ photos) think I first saw it fully cleaned in Christmas 2014/5. More importantly, it’s well worth a visit - before we emigrated, we often used to overnight in Chartes on our way down to the Aveyron.
Maybe some Lefebure-Wely, one of his organ Sorties, would have woken them up. It was apocryphally said that his name was the origin of the saying: “Give it some Wely.”
Wilson
Have you been to Saint Chapelle recently?
It’s erm …not great these days. Building work around it doesn’t help the light - and it’s gotten way more popular.
By the time you’ve waited to get in - the lower chapel is now filled with brightly lit garden sheds selling tat - or guides - or coins … And upstairs is just a constant throng of tik tok videos and a bare room with no chairs - which somewhat removes the experience. It’s still impressive but not the place to contemplate shall we say
If you want to be really miserable try the Orangerie…that’s completely swamped most days and no one looks anymore they wander about being filmed in front of the water lilies (then leave…downstairs is still empty). It was almost as annoying as the Louvre earlier this year.
It’s the very worst form of selfie - they turn their back on the paintings which in their minds are reduced to a mere backdrop for their infantile self-promotion.
I’d be very happy if more galleries completely banned visitors from taking photographs,