Why Cavaille-Coll? Why Gaudi?

In 2005 my parents were moving from England to France. I decided to learn to play the organ. My dad was an organist at our local church and I thought I'd give it a go. I had learned a bit of keyboard as a child and also had played guitar for a few years. I was influenced early by the organ CDs my dad had - english organs and Bach. But I don't know if it was the cheap CD recordings I purchased but English organs didn't sound right to me. Fast forward a couple of years my parents sent me an organ CD from a French cathedral. I was hooked. The roar of the reeds. The mixtures. The power. It was this that I had been seeking. In 2007 we did a tour of organs and I visited Caen and also St Ouen in Rouen, among others. Purchasing CDs from each I fell in love with French organs and music.

Fast forward to 2023. I was going on holiday to Barcelona for a week. Of course I wanted to visit La Sagrada Familia, the huge church that is still under construction over a hundred years on. I had enjoyed looking at quirky buildings on my travels and noted many, as well as the lovely Park Guell over looking Barcelona. I loved them all. I learned about their designer Antoni Gaudi. Coupled with a visit to Sant Pau, an old hospital in similar style I knew I had found a style that appealed to me.

This year when trying to find inspiration for my organ rebuild I was going to keep it simple to fit it in to a weeks holiday. But as I thought more about it I wanted something that would bring the space alive in the room and give me a challenge. What did the amount of time it took to build really matter, I wanted something I could enjoy for many years to come and would be unique but a fitting tribute to Cavaille-Coll and Gaudi.