Musical spirit of Notre Dame still stirring souls in Paris
Sounds that defined the cathedral at Christmastime filling other churches
The singers were unseen, filling the grand darkened space of Paris’ St.-eustache Church with song, like disembodied angels. They moved slowly in procession, up the aisles to a makeshift stage, where they revealed themselves: the men, women and children of the Notre Dame Cathedral choir.
It has been more than 2 ½ years since fire tore through Notre Dame, the most visited church in the world and France’s most visited monument. The herculean task of restoring the medieval masterpiece was then delayed by the pandemic, but the French president has promised that the cathedral will reopen in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The musical tradition at Notre Dame is as old as the cathedral itself, with origins dating back to the 12th century.
But since the fire, the cathedral’s ancient music school and its choirs, called the Maîtrise of Notre Dame, have struggled financially: The state and the city of Paris eliminated funding, and the school lost one-third of its 2 million euro annual budget and had to fire most of its staff and musicians.
“We went through a period of deep mourning, but now we are motivated by the certainty that Notre Dame will one day reopen,” said Yves Castagnet, the master organist who has played at Notre Dame for 33 years. “Meanwhile, our mission is to preserve and spread the spirit of our great cathedral outside its walls. We have become the city’s ambassadors of sound.”
The musicians now perform like a band of musical nomads awaiting their return home. Tourists — whether believers or not — who had made the cathedral a pilgrimage site have been left bereft. The sense of loss is especially acute during the Christmas holidays, when Notre Dame’s midnight Christmas Mass doubled as a glorious organ and choir concert. But there is a foolproof way to emulate
the joy and comfort previously found at Notre Dame: Follow the music.
The cathedral’s closure has opened many visitors to a world overlooked even by Parisians themselves: the city’s more than 100 churches. Most of these have some music accompanying Mass and Vespers; some attract choirs, which perform both scheduled and impromptu concerts — especially at Christmastime. Every church has at least one Christmas Mass, but even churches that don’t regularly host concerts are likely to offer liturgical music at the end of December.
The cultural scene in Paris came back to life this fall, but now the uncertainty of the omicron variant has cast a long shadow over the city. Entry into all indoor spaces requires the presentation of a “pass sanitaire” (proof of vaccination, or a negative PCR or antigen test no more than 3 days old). Masks must be worn indoors. On Dec. 6, the CDC issued a Level 4 “do not travel” notice for France, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country. The French government has decided to keep most public spaces, including restaurants, bars, museums — and churches — open over the holidays, but it is advisable to verify whether an event has been canceled.
From musical Mass and Vespers to open-door visiting hours, churches are free and open to the public — though best practice is to bring a 2-euro coin to drop in a donation box. Concerts that are hosted rather than organized by churches will charge for tickets and they are best booked in advance.
Here’s where the musical spirit of Notre Dame is filling the air this holiday season.
St.-germain-l’auxerrois
Five Paris churches are playing host to the Maîtrise while Notre Dame is under reconstruction. One of Paris’ oldest churches, St.-germain-l’auxerrois, is a 15-minute walk along the Right Bank of the Seine and across the street from the Louvre. The cathedral’s religious services have moved there for the duration, along with some of its music.
Rebuilt many times over the centuries, the church is the resting place for many of France’s poets, architects, painters and sculptors. It is a visual adventure that blends several styles: a Romanesque bell tower, a High Gothic chancel, a Flamboyant nave, a Renaissance portal and a Flemish altarpiece and triptych carved in wood.
Vierge du Pilier, the most important statue of Mary to which people came to pray at Notre Dame, is on display here.
Accompanied by the Maîtrise, the 5:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday Vespers and the 6:30 p.m. Sunday Mass are broadcast on Catholic television’s Youtube channel. On Sundays, the 6:30 p.m. Mass and the 10 a.m. Gregorian Mass are broadcast on Notre Dame Radio. (The Maîtrise also has recorded a Christmas album, “À la venue de Noël,” which can be heard on Spotify.) On Christmas Day, the Maîtrise is expected to perform during the 11:30 a.m. Mass, as well as the 10 a.m. Gregorian Mass. Plans for the usual Christmas Eve performance are uncertain because of COVID-19 considerations.
St.-eustache and St.-sulpice
But St.-germain-l’auxerrois is too small to host to concerts with the Maîtrise’s large choirs, which have struggled to find other Paris churches willing to host them. About twice a month, they perform in other venues, especially at two of Paris’ best-known churches, both of them about a mile away: St.-eustache near the Forum des Halles on the Right Bank and St.sulpice (bigger than Notre Dame), in the St.-germain-des-prés neighborhood on the Left.
St.-eustache is considered a jewel of the French Renaissance, but it also can be seen as a mininotre Dame. Its interior — including its perpendicular nave and transept, and side and radial chapels — was modeled on the great Gothic cathedral. With its extraordinary acoustics, St.-eustache regularly hosts concerts — from psalms to contemporary compositions. Even the ordinary singing of parishioners during weekend services stirs the soul.
The church, host to other groups besides the Maîtrise, will be the venue for two planned classical music concerts at the end of the year, one on New Year’s Eve, and the other on Jan. 1.
St.-sulpice is a late baroque building, constructed over the 13thcentury foundations of a Romanesque church. If you want a 19th-century Eugène Delacroix fix, this is the place to go: Two of his paintings and a ceiling fresco (magnificently restored) grace this venue. And it is just as famous for its renowned organ.
In addition to Masses at regular hours, an 11 p.m. Mass on Christmas Eve, a Christmas concert today and a New Year’s Eve concert on Dec. 31 are planned.
St.-étienne-du-mont
The Notre Dame choirs are also performing at St.-étienne-du-mont, a gothic structure in the Latin Quarter at the top of a gentle hill honoring Geneviève, Paris’ patron saint. Her mystical piety, fasting and shrewd negotiating skills are said to have stopped Attila the Hun from invading Paris in the fifth century. (Her ancient sarcophagus is housed inside.)
St.-étienne-du-mont is most famous for Paris’ only “rood screen,” an intricately carved, loftedarch, 16th-century partition that serves as a decorative barrier between the high altar and the congregation.
Then there is its 17thcentury organ, considered one of the finest in Paris, updated by Cavaillé-coll in 1863, and restored several years ago.
Although no concerts are scheduled here for Christmas, the church’s organists will play at holiday Masses.
St.-séverin
Finally, the Notre Dame choirs can be heard from time to time at St.-séverin in the Latin Quarter — not far from the cathedral and the Shakespeare and Company bookstore. St.-séverin was built in the late Gothic style in the 11th century; like Notre Dame, its exterior features gargoyles and flying buttresses; there is a rose window above the west entrance. The Maîtrise will be at St.-sulpice and St.-germain-l’auxerrois this Christmas. St.-séverin plans to offer two classical concerts: the predominantly string orchestra Les Solistes Français on Christmas Day, and a trumpet and organ recital on New Year’s Day.