On the trail of Canada's premier organ builder

There is no doubt that reading this story about a certain François Grouard could inspire filmmakers and screenwriters !

Written in the form of a police investigation, this article examines a claim made by the first biographer of Mgr. de Laval (1623–1708) that a clergyman, whose name he did not mention, made wooden organs for churches in Quebec City and its surroundings.

A reflection on the cultural context that prevailed in Quebec City at the turn of the 18th century and an invitation to researchers to pursue this investigation, which reopens the debate on the genesis of organ making in Canada.

Read the article published in Intersections, a Canadian music review, by Paul-André Dubois  / (Online publication: Sept. 28, 2020)

Image: Modélisation de l’orgue par Matthieu Lachance, architecte, d’après les recommandations de Robin Côté, facteur d’orgues de la maison Juget-Sinclair et les plans du palais épiscopal dressés par Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry. Sources : Plan du Premier Etage du Palais Episcopal (1743), Bibliothèque et Archives Canada (BAC), item 40146; Henri Beau, Sulpicien XVIIème siècle, aquarelle. BAC, no. d’acquisition 1933-188-1, C-000182.