From the Organist & Choirmaster

This Sunday, as we gather for Mass, the voluntary you will hear is Berceuse by Louis Vierne, a gentle and deeply expressive work for organ that opens our Mass in a spirit of quiet contemplation.

Berceuse, the French word for “lullaby” is part of Vierne’s collection 24 pièces en style libre, Op. 31. Composed in 1913, this set was written for both harmonium and organ manuals, making it especially adaptable for churches with smaller instruments. Each of the 24 pieces reflects a different emotional or liturgical mood, and Berceuse is one of its most tender offerings. With its lilting rhythm and delicate harmonies, the piece evokes a sense of peace and trust, like being rocked gently in the arms of our Lord.

Louis Vierne (1870-1937) was a towering figure in the world of French organ music. Nearly blind from birth, he studied under César Franck and Charles-Marie Widor, eventually becoming the principal organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a position he held for nearly four decades. Despite personal hardship, including illness, war, and near-total blindness, Vierne produced an extraordinary body of music. His works span the deeply mystical to the joyously triumphant, always rooted in his strong sense of liturgical purpose. Vierne’s life came to a poetic end: he died at the organ bench of Notre Dame during a recital in 1937. His Berceuse, though composed much earlier, serves as a moving reminder of his sensitivity to beauty and prayer through music.

I hope this piece will help you enter into a spirit of reflection as we center our hearts and mind for Mass.

Cody