The organ empty during its restoration
The four keyboards
the organ-Boisseau Cattiaux
The current Cattiaux-Boisseau organ |
By 1967, l’Association François Henri Clicquot whose organists played the St Radegund's instrument for their activities, alerted the local authorities
about this deterioration, and insisted on the need of important renovations and reconstruction.
Though everyone was conscious of the necessity of such an operation, which would endow Poitiers with a great instrument, for a wider range of organ music,
it took thirty years to become reality.
A waited for reconstruction
In August 1987, l’Association pour la Renaissance de l’orgue de Sainte Radegonde” was officially declared and, under the chairmanship of Mr. Jean-Pierre
Gilbert, took the project back in hand. Numerous members supported the approaches and, at last, in 1991, the reconstruction started.
This was part of the organ renovation programmed scheduled in Poitiers by the local Council.
A new organ, with a few exceptions…
The bargain was given to the Boisseau-Cattiaux Firm, in Bethines. This large French Firm, specialized in historical restorations (N.D. de Paris,
Versailles) was given the opportunity to build a great organ, completely new, except for the wooden part of the great chest – which was consolidated,
cleaned and regilt – and for a number of pipes and reservoirs that had been used in the Clicquot for over a hundred years.
The Boisseau-Cattiaux Firm was helped in this task by two other workshops :
- of Ph. Emeriau from Angers for the mechanical part,
- of J.P. Villechange from Guesnes, that made the metal pipes
- and by Joêl Petrique who conceived and set the the combinator.
Technical informations...
- The organ has 56 stops, on 4 manuals and a 32 notes pedal-board, with all the technical and musical resources necessary for a good interpretation
of the whole repertoire …
Let us underline here the presence of a Romantic Solo, necessary to play Franck, Verne, Wider and some other symphonists.
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- The important number of stops in this organ necessitated the fitting of a special electric stops pulling, and thanks to an electric combinatory, the
organist can play very difficult pieces whose complex registration makes it still much more difficult.
- In the same way, the Barker Machinery will be a great help for the coupling of the keys on the Great Organ.
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The church of St Radegund’s, sanctuary famous even far our country, by the tomb of the queen of France – patron saint of Poitiers – by its magnificent
architecture and stained-glass windows, has recovered an instrument worthy of the place.
The achieving of this remarkable element of the local heritage has been made possible owing to a financial help of the Town of Poitiers, the Department of
the Vienna, the Poitou-Charente Region, the Ministry of Culture, the Credit Agricole Bank, and also the important collaboration of the “Association pour la Renaissance de l’Orgue de Sainte Radegonde”, supported by the parishioners and many members.
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