The Spectacular Organ at Saint Sulpice and a First Communion

June 2, 2024 — Day 17 (Sunday)

Leisurely breakfast. Mass isn’t until eleven o’clock and we’ll go fifteen minutes early for the organ recital. Well, that was the plan. When we arrived at the church, there was already a crowd in the square with little kids dressed in white and carrying white roses. Oops . . . first Communion. We are not going to make it to Androuet’s Fromagerie before 1:30 today.

It was an amazing service and there was hardly a free seat in the house. We had an organ introduction that we really couldn’t hear because of the chatting with all the kids and their families. There is nothing to do but enjoy the joy of the moment so we did. The service began with a magnificent procession with the tiniest altar boy I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen some pretty small ones. He was really cute and obviously knew exactly what he was doing.

After the procession, each child was introduced and the Mass started. We had a song sheet and the song leader was absolutely wonderful. She was a mezzo with a glorious voice so we cheerfully joined in. After each child received their first Communion and the congregation received their Communion, there was an Adoration which took a good fifteen minutes. The sermon had not been shortened for the proceedings so we were definitely not going to get our cheese du jour. After Mass, the organ kept playing so we sat down and enjoyed it. They have a glorious organ at Saint Sulpice.

The First Communion Procession with all age groups from the tiny altar boy to an aging priest

The First Communion Procession with all age groups from the tiny altar boy to an aging priest

We walked home and relaxed for a few minutes and then decided it might be best to go to a restaurant nearby so I suggested the sister restaurant of the place we ate last Sunday and had such a good meal and good time. It has almost the same name but is around the corner and is on rue Princesse. I made a reservation for 1:30 and we set off for the restaurant which is about a fifteen-minute walk from the apartment. [Le Bistrot d'Henri, 16 Rue Princesse, 75006 Paris; tel: +33 (0)1 4633-5112; https://bistrotdhenri.fr/fr]

We arrived and were expected and seated. Unfortunately we were given the menu in English and neither of us can read an English menu. We made wild guesses and Ed ordered the sea bass (bar) and I ordered the slow-cooked lamb with prunes (nameless in French but very similar to souris d’agneau). They both turned out to be superb and we had a wonderful lunch but noted the one waiter and probably owner never smiled. He asked if we wanted dessert and Ed asked for the dessert carte but the waiter just recited the dessert menu. Ed got the flan and I ordered what I thought was a lemon tart but the waiter asked me a question and neither of us had any idea what he asked. Everyone in the restaurant was French and no one apparently spoke English so he tried to explain but didn’t get very far so in exasperation went into the kitchen and brought out a tart and waved his hand over it saying something that sounded like “po” and I gave up. So did he. Finally he brought Ed’s flan and gave me a spoon and nothing else happened. I asked him if I was getting anything and he asked what I wanted. So I said mousse au chocolat and everyone around us cheered. The lady beside us had tried to explain what he said originally but we couldn’t understand her any better than him. I was laughing and feeling completely dopey and so was the waiter who finally was not only smiling, but laughing every time he saw me. In disaster we had become friends.

Le Bistrot d'Henri

Le Bistrot d'Henri

I got my coffee, and we walked up to the Saint Germain Market for our shopping. We finally know where things are in the store. That saves a lot of time. We walked home and I’m madly trying to finish this before the afternoon organ recital.

Later: We attended the not-well-attended organ recital. It was a recital by Daniel Roth, titular organist Emeritus of the great organ and there was no wide screen tv to watch the organist and very few others in the audience. Last week the recital was by Karol Mossakowski, titular organist of the great organ, and there was a wide screen and excellent video of him performing. It added a lot to the performance. Mr. Roth’s performance this week was fine but his selection was less than inspiring. It was lovely to hear the beautiful organ, but when you can only hear it a few times every three to five years, you deeply appreciate a good selection of music. Next week the recital will be by Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin, the other titular organist of the great organ.

The grand organ is in fact the largest instrument ever built by Cavaillé-Coll (102 stops on 5 keyboards and pedals). Including a large part of the piping of the previous instrument signed FH Clicquot (1781), it is doubly classified as a Historic Monument (buffet and instrumental part). Albert Schweitzer spoke of it as “the most beautiful organ in the world.”

Eglise Saint-Sulpice in Paris - The Cavaillé-Coll Organ

Eglise Saint-Sulpice in Paris - the Main Altar

Eglise Saint-Sulpice in Paris - The Pulpit

Eglise Saint-Sulpice in Paris - You see Delacroix as you enter and exit

We walked home and are catching up on the news since yesterday . . . not particularly fun. We stopped at the grocery so will have supper after the news.