Saint-François-Xavier

12, place du Président-Mithouard, 75007 Paris

Orgue d'accompagnement

D4 At first, the choir singers were positioned behind the main altar. This altar was then smaller and placed further forward, leaving room for the choir and the choir organ. From 1894, when the new altar was built, the choir organ and the singers were moved to the transept gallery, which was arranged as a kind of “cantoria”. This explains the unusual location of the “choir organ” in the gallery. Source: Site internet St-François-Xavier A choir organ has been present since the completion of the new church of Saint‑François‑Xavier. It was then placed at the back of the choir, behind the high altar. In 1894, the instrument was moved to the gallery of the north arm of the transept on the occasion of the construction of the new high altar. The true origin of the current organ is not really known, but the console and the windchests contain many elements typical of the style of Fermis. There is no trace of a Mutin workshop label. The case seems to have been designed for Saint‑François‑Xavier, in the form it still has today, and the organ fits into it in a very coherent way. 1963 Müller installed an independent pedal of four stops. The entire unit was placed outside the main case, in the gallery. Additional reservoirs were added and the note action was almost entirely rebuilt. At that time he completely revoiced the organ in the form it still has today, but he had tuned the whole instrument at full wind. 1977 Gaston Litaize asked for the expressive box of the Récit to be removed, the Voix céleste to be changed into a 4′ Flute, and the reed coupler to be suppressed. The work was carried out by Gonzalez. 1990 Dargassies carried out a major overhaul, including new windchest framing for the Great and Récit. After long discussions, the practice of full‑wind tuning was abandoned. As a result, the balance of the organ was re‑shaped overall. 2024 The instrument was overhauled by the organ builder Gaël Coutelier. A Récit/Great 16′ coupler was added. Many thanks to Mr Bernard Dargassies for his informations.