The organ stands at the spiritual heart of music heard in French Catholic liturgy. In this disc, Peter Stevens invites us to encounter two contrasting titans of this world, César Franck and Charles Tournemire, at one time teacher and pupil, who forged compositional idioms that continue to dominate the world of the organ and its use as an instrument capable of inflecting the spiritual sensibilities of French culture. The Trois Chorals of Franck are three fantasies in which swirls of colour, harmony and, at times, sheer virtuosity evoke heartfelt emotional and spiritual convictions. Works from Charles Tournemire’s L’Orgue Mystique build on this legacy, with their profound sense of metrical freedom, deeply rooted in the seasons of the Church and its rich inheritance of Gregorian chant. The grand organ of Westminster Cathedral gives voice to these masterpieces, in the hands of one of this generation’s finest exponents of the genre.

GRAMOPHONE EDITOR’S CHOICE FEBRUARY 2025 “A recital rich in instrumental colour and atmosphere from Peter Stevens which powerfully evokes the spiritual air of Westminster Cathedral, on whose Grand Organ it was recorded.” (Gramophone Magazine)

★★★★ “Resisting the temptation to unleash all-guns-blazing Tournemire on the organ of Westminster Cathedral, Peter Stevens opts to show the French composer’s more meditative side, followed by Franck’s Trois Chorals, whose singing lines are brought out beautifully in these well paced performances.” (BBC Music Magazine)

“In an age where digital precision often trumps atmospheric authenticity, Ad Fontes latest release arrives as a testament to the enduring power of masterful organ recording… At the helm of Westminster Cathedral’s mighty Willis organ, Peter Stevens delivers interpretations that resonate with both technical brilliance and spiritual depth… Stevens’ artistry allows Tournemire’s intricate harmonies to hover like lingering incense, creating an almost tangible sense of the divine.” (Organists’ Review)

“Franck’s Trois Chorals receive performances that follow closely the composer’s detailed registrations, capturing their colour and harmony...” (RSCM CMQ Magazine)

“Another joint audiophile-bibliophile masterpiece from Ad Fontes. A beautiful hardcover book, a little larger than a traditional CD jewel box, sewn in signatures no less, with a CD inserted in a slipcase in the back cover. The book, richly illustrated and highly informative, is worth having on its own. The recording is superb—some of the best Tournemire I’ve heard (L’Orgue mystique, numbers 26, 2, and 11), plus magisterial renderings of Franck’s Trois Chorales—and the organ is at its absolute peak…” (The American Organist)