Reed-pipes being put back in. |
The extensive researches made by Jean-Albert Villard from 1949 to 2000led him to discover that by 1363 there was already an organ in
the Cathedral, a rood-screen organ, without any doubt.
Organs with a tragic destiny
Circa 1460, Pierre de Montfort, a benedictine monk had build an organ witch was proposed as a model for the Besançon and Chartres Cathedrals.
During the sacking of Poitiers, on may 27 and 28 1562, the Cathedral was the scene of pillage, and the organ was destroyed. An official
report, on October 1st 1562 at 7 o’clock, states this demolition.
This official account describes the instrument of that time as :
« “a great wooden enshrining, all painted and decorated with figures. It consisted in three big pipes on each side and 4 in the middle, and some other – up to 3000 in number, - about 38 feet height and 5 and a half feet wide … with, at the back, a choir organ of 8 stops and with a richly painted frontage”. »
The organs were put back in order for the amount of 1.500 “livres”. A little while after a miscarried project by G. Pelletier, another monk,
the chapter had an organ built by Crespin Carlier. This one was checked and signed in May 1618 by Jean Titelouze, organist at Notre-Dame de
Rouen, and by Florent Bienvenu, organist at the Sainte Chapelle in Paris.
The organ was considered a one of the most beautiful ones in the realm, but met with a tragic destiny during the night of the 25-26 December
1681 : a badly put out charcoal pan used by the organists and the organ blowers caused a fire which destroyed the organ.
A work sheme, financed by a royal grant of 100.000 “livres” made it possible to have the present organ loft build by a local architect,
Vetault. But the organ itself had to be financed…
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