Communion (L'Orgue Mystique 5., Cycle de Noël, Circumcisio Domini)

In the early 1960s, the Austin Organ Company produced a recording of two of its newest instruments: the organs in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in New Canaan, Connecticut and the Riverside Church (Chapel). The monaural LP album was entitled “Praise Him with Organs.” Fred Swann, who was then organist of the Riverside Church, was the recording artist. It contained some of the most interesting and unknown (to me) organ music this teenager had ever heard. I now play or have played every piece on this recording. This was the heyday of the Nazon Flute, slotted principals, and thin scales, but at the time it was exciting and America’s answer to the Organ Reform Movement.

One of the pieces on this recording was entitled “Communion Mystique” and was actually taken from the massive collection “L’Orgue Mystique” by Charles Tournemire. This is the fourth movement of the Circumcision of our Lord Mass. Since that feast day is tomorrow, I thought I would share it now. (The entire L'Orgue Mystique is available for free on the IMSLP website).

My recording brings us back to the sounds that originally inspired this piece, most notably the 8’ Flûte Harmonique stop and the broad scaled 4’ Flûte in the pedal.