Lamento

A few years ago I had the pleasure of visiting the Eglise Wallone in The Hague.
We did a trip of three organs: the Bätz in the Lutheran church, one of the finest in Holland and the big Swiss Metzler in the Grote Kerk. We did not expect much of the French church.

The organ there has almost the same specifications as the one in St. Eucaire with the additions by Milan.
I was impressed! It turned out to be one of the finest we heard.
The quality of the sound was superb, true Cavaille-Coll.

The organist told me that about 35 years ago they asked him to become their organist. They did not have a regular one. No professional wanted to.
He played the organ, fell instantly in love with it and stayed till the present day.
His friends regarded him with pity, like a guy driving a small pink scooter into a Harley-Davidson convention. But he was very right.

(Continued in the Paraphrase)