Communion, Op. 74

Tomorrow, June 26th is the Feast of Corpus Christi.

The Feast of Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ), also known as Corpus Domini, is a Latin Rite liturgical solemnity celebrating the tradition and belief in the body and blood of Jesus Christ and his Real Presence in the Eucharist. It emphasizes the joy of the institution of the Eucharist, which was observed on Maundy Thursday in the somber atmosphere of the nearness of Good Friday. The feast is liturgically celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday or, "where the Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is not a holy day of obligation, it is assigned to the Sunday after the Most Holy Trinity as its proper day". At the end of Holy Mass, there is often a procession of the Blessed Sacrament, generally displayed in a monstrance. The procession is followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Charles Paul Florimond Quef (1 November 1873, Lille – 2 July 1931, Paris) was a French organist and composer.

He studied at the conservatory in Lille and after absolving it, he attended Paris Conservatory, where he studied together with Charles-Marie Widor, Louis Vierne and Alexandre Guilmant. From 1895 to 1898, he was organist of the Église Sainte-Marie-des-Batignolles and in 1898, organist of the Saint-Laurent church, Paris. In the same year, he was awarded the First prize for organ at the conservatory. Then he was appointed assistant organist and later, in November 1901, titular organist of the Église de la Ste.-Trinité, Paris, due to resignation of his predecessor Guilmant. He retained this post until his death in 1931.

"Communion" is not a proper Corpus Christi piece, but it does deal with the Holy Eucharist, and gives me something nice to upload. The textures are pungent but soft and lovely. Actually, I enjoyed playing this piece so much, I think I will explore some other works by Quef! :-)

The score is attached below.