Day three France
 
Day 3 — Thursday   The whole crew and I slept late today! I rose at noon and Chris took Stephen and me to lunch at the wonderful outdoor café Brasserie Paul right in front of our hotel.  Then we walked over to St. Ouen and I filmed a short clip of Stephen talking about his recording for Aeolus with the great Cavaille-Coll organ behind him. We added this to a clip of Stephen playing Repons pour le Temps de Paques that was filmed the night before.  I thought that we should add a background track to the opening title of the video, so I asked Stephen if he would mind pulling out FULL ORGAN and playing a 30-second improvisation on Gloria in Excelsis Deo. Stephen did not object, so I recorded it with an inexpensive microphone on my Apple Computer.   I noticed that the organ-builder had recently purchased a video camera and was experimenting with it. I asked him if he wanted to watch me edit the video I had made. He accompanied me to the 14th-century sacristy where we have our control room and I edited a good-looking clip. I went back to the hotel to upload it onto the Internet as a blog.   Then it was time to return to St Ouen for another night of recording! Stephen recorded Triptyque, four unpublished manuscripts, and one of the Meditations on the Holy Spirit. I took my position at the right side of the console and tried the follow the multi-metered score the best I could while changing stops and operating ventils.  Those players who complain about an original Skinner Organ being unmanageable with four general pistons and several divisionals should try this! I helped Stephen at the console with three pieces and returned to the hotel at midnight. Joe Vitacco
Recording St. Ouen & St. Sulpice
Thursday May 4, 2006