Incantation pour un jour saint

I have a special connection to this piece:
Sometime in 1987, our organ class, led by Prof. André Luy, went on a trip to Paris, where we visited Sainte-Clothilde, amongst other places. None other than the church’s titular organist, Jean Langlais, gave us a demonstration on the famous Cavaillé-Coll organ, on which the great César Franck had also played.
To conclude, Maître Langlais played his “Incantation” for us. I stood right next to him at the console and soaked up the music. It was incredibly fascinating and one of the most beautiful experiences of my musical life, one that I will probably never forget.
I have always endeavoured to play “Incantation” just as I heard it from the composer himself – not nearly as fast as it is often played, but with a reflection of that solemn moment during the Easter Vigil when the Lumen Christi is sung.
Don’t miss the photo at the end of the video, a wonderful memento of that day!