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American Record Guide

[Erik] Simmons continues his survey of Carson Cooman’s extensive output for the organ. As in the previous volumes the music, playing, and production are of a high standard. These pieces are mostly short, tonal, and in a pleasantly neoclassical harmonic idiom. The more substantial pieces include Exordium, Refrains, Gregorian Diptych, and O Come: Three Hymn Fantasies. Cooman writes effective, approachable church music and I would encourage organists to explore it.

Simmons delivers his usual excellent performances, but the real star is the 1855 (early) Cavaille-Coll organ in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Saint-Ormer, France. Although it undoubtedly points toward his later symphonic style in design and tonal character, it retains unmistakable aspects of the Baroque sound – he re-used a large part of the original 18th Century pipework.

Notes on the music by the composer, photos, and specification of the organ.