On our bucket list was to attend a mass a the newly-restored Notre Dame, and we decided to go to the 11:30 mass in spite of it being cold and rainy this morning. However we both got up early, bought a day pass for the metro which we loaded on our phones, and walked right into the Kyrie orbis factor of the 10:00 am Gregorian Mass and we decided to sit down. The magic words were “Nous allons a la messe” (We are going to the Mass) to avoid the huge lines of people without tickets.

I was absolutely dazzled by the gleaming white interior of Notre Dame cathedral, because I remember being here when it was dingy and gray. Everything looks so new and clean after the devastating fire. When we walked outside, the rain had gone and the sun came out—it was cool and crisp and such a beautiful day!.

I was even more impressed with this first liturgy, in which all the Ordinary was sung in the traditional Latin chants. Playing the Latin mass at St. Mark’s in Honolulu prepared me well for this first liturgy! And look at how many chalices there were, as seen on the video monitor! The Cathedral was absolutely packed, and we heard Americans sitting behind us — this was in contrast to the audience in Saintes where we heard zero Americans and only one British couple speak English.

We stayed for the second liturgy at 11:30 which had a small choir singing the Ordinary (Kyrie was by Palestrina, Missa Brevis; Gloria was traditional Latin chant; Sanctus was a contemporary congregational setting; Agnus Dei was by Palestrina, Missa Brevis; and during Communion, the choir sang de Lassus, Jubilate Deo).

Of course I was most interested in the exciting improvisations of the organist, Vincent Dubois, who played both services. Occasionally the video monitor showed him at the console. According to a Google search, he is 45 years old and a student of Olivier Latry. He earned first prizes in Organ, Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue and 20th-century composition.

After Notre Dame, we set out for Saint-Sulpice, the church where my former teacher, Marcel Dupré, was organist for 37 years, succeeding Charles-Marie Widor. I was amazed to be back in this church — when I was a student here in 1968 I attended three services every Sunday and although my husband Carl and I visited here in 2010, I didn’t remember all the paintings and the elaborate pulpit; I only remembered the organ.

It was now about 2:00 pm, and it was time for lunch. We found this cafe which turned out to be an excellent choice. I ordered the croque madame (which has an egg on top of a ham and cheese sandwich) and Bill had the quiche. The food was absolutely delicious!

Near the cafe was the church of Saint-German des Près, described by Wikipedia as:

the church of a Benedictine abbey founded in 558 by Childebert I, the son of Clovis, King of the Franks. The abbey was destroyed by the Vikings, rebuilt, and renamed in the 8th century for Saint Germain, a 6th century bishop. It was rebuilt with elements in the new Gothic style in the 11th century, and was given the earliest flying buttresses in the Ile de France in the 12th century. It is considered the oldest existing church in Paris.

We found this church to be incredibly beautiful, with its painted walls and columns. Bill saw some indications that this was a Polish congregation, which would explain the elaborately painted walls and columns.

At 5:00 pm, there was an organ recital at Saint-Eustache by Thomas Ospital, whom we saw before the recital. He played two transcriptions: Le tombeau de Couperin by Maurice Ravel and Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns, both tours de force. We were surprised to see the organ console on the floor of the church rather than up in the organ loft.

What was remarkable about the church was that the backs of the chairs could be reversed to face either the altar or the organ. It took very little effort to slide the back of the chair to face the other direction—what a unique concept!

Tomorrow we’ll set out to discover even more churches and organs!