Nunc Dimittis

Books about the phenomenon known as the 20th-century
harpsichord revival continue to appear. Among recent publications, none is so
engrossing as Violet: The Life and Loves of Violet Gordon Woodhouse, written by
her great-niece Jessica Douglas-Home (The Harvil Press, 84 Thornhill Road,
London N1 1RD; £20).

S. Drummond Wolff

The 58th annual Organ Historical Society national convention differed in several ways from some of the recent ones. Its hub, Burlington, is the largest city in northern Vermont, but hardly in the same size league as Washington, Pittsburgh, or Chicago—the sprawling urban sites of recent conventions. Yet it is accessible via train, plane, and interstate, culturally vital, and full of amenities from good food to spectacular views of Lake Champlain, not to mention parking.

The Sainte-Clotilde Tradition is based on the lineage transmitted in a teacher/student relationship from Franck to Tournemire to Langlais. Especially beginning with Charles Tournemire, these organist/composers, as well as many of their substitutes, had an intimate, spiritual understanding of the Gregorian chants used in the traditional Catholic liturgy. This was manifest in their deeply poetic and colorful interpretations, and in their use of Gregorian chants in their improvisations and compositions. This article is dedicated to Pierre Cogen, a French organist-composer in the Sainte-Clotilde Tradition.