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From Gramophone Magazine April 2006

Eugene Gigout was a contemporary of Faure and Saint-Saens; like them he was a church organist in Paris and he held influential teaching posts. His music has a melodic charm and : lightness of touch reminiscent of Mendelssohn, alongside the expressive chromatic harmony and frequent modulations so beloved of Cesar Franck. This latter composer dedicated his last composition, the A minor organ Choral to Gigout, and many other friends and colleagues paid tribute to his modesty and devotion to performing and teaching.

In contrast to Franck and Widor, Gigout was more of a miniaturist; his longest work lasts no more than 10 minutes. On this final volume of Priory's series the music ranges from an expansive rhapsody on Canadian folk tunes through to delightful short pieces written for the harmonium. It came as a revelation to me that Gigout composed enough music to fill up five CDs; full marks to Gerard Brooks for finding all the available scores and also for his very informative programme notes. His performances cannot be praised too highly; his choice of tempi and the organs's colours are always appropriate and he has a natural affinity with Gigout's polished, refined musical style.

Priory's excellent recording captures the authentic Gallic tones plus some mechanical noises of the two mid-19th-century Cavaille-Coll instruments. The choir organ behind the altar (heard in the pieces for harmonium) may only have 14 stops but it's every bit as fine as its bigger brother at the cathedral's west end with its 57 stops and a glorious, sonorous tutti.

Apr 2006 Christopher Nickol Gramophone

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