As we approach the 75th anniversary of the untimely & mysterious death, on 4th November 1939, of this unjustly neglected but hugely influential organist/improviser/composer, I am wondering if there is anybody out there who is planning to play "L'Orgue Mystique" in its entirety, throughout the liturgical year, at Mass, on the appropriate Solemnities, Feasts and Sundays? This is of course the purpose for which it was written, with the shorter movements at the Introit, Offertory and Communion alternating with the gregorian propers chanted by the choir/scola.

It was Messiaen who said, in the 1930's: "One day, justice will be done to Tournemire". That justice still seems an awful long time a-coming...... The music world at large and the Catholic Church in particular need to discover the extraordinarily rich treasury of compositions by this devout Catholic and mystic who so inspired a whole generation of renowned organist/composers such as Durufle, Langlais, Messiaen and Peeters, also Bonnal, Daniel-Lesur and Fleury.

I discovered "L'Orgue Mystique" in 1999 and have become totally immersed in its innumerable complexities, delights, inspirations and wonders over the past fifteen years through a programme of continuous study, practice and playing. This awesome, beautiful, colossal and majestic work written between 1927 and 1932 almost certainly constitutes the greatest unrecognized and unexplored treasure of 20th-century sacred music. It is, without a doubt, the only truly monumental cycle of liturgical organ music ever composed, containing fifty 5-part suites (known as Offices) and one 3-part (for Holy Saturday), a total of 253 pieces which paraphrase more than 300 plainchants and cover nearly 1300 published pages - almost fifteen hours of music!

"L'Orgue Mystique" was a very significant influence in my 2012 conversion to Roman Catholicism (from the Church of England). It is very clear that sacred music in the Roman church and particularly at parish level is in urgent need of restoration and revival. I am well aware of all the wonderful work that the CMAA have been doing in this respect for some years now, but over here on "this side of the pond" we unfortunately lack a cohesive organisation that can do similiar work on a regular basis throughout the UK. There are pockets of excellence, granted, but they are musical oases in a sadly arid desert landscape where the infamous "4-hymn sandwich" still seems to reign supreme!!