Notre Dame de Paris
The most splendid organ I have ever heard is in the Cathederal of Notre Dame, Paris...one of the oldest and most revered Gothic Cathederals in the world, to hear it makes your hair stand on end...
10 yrs ago, having never been ill in my life I found myself with a terminal Lymphoma Diagnosis, I was told to wrap up my life and could expect 3 months max ...For a birthday surprise my partner managed to whisk me to the airport after packing my bags, ( not a mean feat me being a Virgo, he was doing some marketing for major airline, so dropping some stuff off for them before going to see my family seemed an okay explaination)
The next thing I knew I was boarding the flight for Paris,wonderfull 4 days etc...Me being from a large RC musical family, one of my life goals was to visit the Notre Dame Cathederal for an organ recital, If I could`nt attend a recital I would have taken my walkman and a tape of a Brass Band piece we used to play called "Suite Gotheque"" about the Ghosts of the Nuns who are said to haunt the Cathederal and float through the cloisters...
In a series of events that year, I found myself walking up to the great Cathederal only to find it "Closed For Lunch" if ever I questioned God and my existence it was then...I felt it was the biggest slap in the face. I could have, and almost did give up with despair there and then...my partner was more optimistic(heaven know how & why in the face of all this adversity) I hobbled next door to the Pompido arts centre and later arrived back at this great Cathederal Door to enter, quietness ensued, no organ recital ...nothing but people milling...AND, I didnt even have my walkman,
I sat and prayed some time, so upset at what had happened and the fact I was about to shuffle this mortal coil soon, and no walkman...Just at the point of leaving,I heard a deep rumble , gentle humming in the pit of my stomach....getting louder & louder....Yes, it was the wind rustling through the sheep-skin bellows ready to bring this magnifcent musical instrument to life...
And so began an organ recital...That was truly the turning point for me , listening to this revered instrument in such a stunning setting.
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