Day 20 - The Organ

Remember that old post of mine about never getting out and doing stuff while living in Paris? Well, ever since that post, a funny thing has happened. Hubby and I have somehow gotten into the rhythm of doing more and more stuff…

There was that museum we went to…. and then that concert….. and that cultural event….

Last night a colleague from the office invited me to come listen to her choral group sing at an organ concert in the Eglise de Saint-Eustache. I have to admit that at first I didn’t feel too comfortable about going to listen to a choral sing inside a church and in latin, but several of my friends from work were going and so I thought what tha heck…. at least it’d make for a fun night out with the gang.

I'm glad I did too. The concert was fantastic… although I can’t tell you what songs exactly the group sang the music itself was incredible. It was a pretty big choral group (they must have been around 40) and the harmony of their voices singing classical music to the tune of the organ inside those high walls and vaults made the whole thing feel surreal.

Saint-Eustache church has somewhat of a dark, gloomy feeling to it; being a 17th century gothic church you can’t help the chill that runs up your spine when you walk into the cool massive building and you find yourself whispering even though you don’t need to … When the music from the organ began to play and the choral to sing the whole thing somehow made you feel like you’d been transported to medieval times.

But I think the highlight of the evening was when the concert ended and we were able to approach the pipe organ, which I've since learned is the largest in France. I had never seen such an instrument. How does anyone play a thing like that? I thought simply playing a normal piano required such great concentration in order to remember all those keys, imagine playing this thing? That’s like five pianos mixed into one!!! It looks something only an octopus could properly play!!

But the music that came out of it was amazing. It could go from very very low notes to really high ones that had the hair in the back of my neck standing up. Along with the harmony of the voices from the choral group and the gothic settings of the church, the entire thing was a thrilling experience.

I have to say, I’m glad I came to the concert after all. I went inside a church I wouldn’t have otherwise, I listened to music I wouldn’t have otherwise, I learned about a new musical instrument I wouldn’t have otherwise and I made my colleague happy for attending her concert.

I’m happy I’m becoming less and less of an ignorant.

Fned.