VILLIERS LE BEL - Eglise Saint-Didier

Organ : 3 keyboards , pedalboard - 25 stops

Composition :

Grand-Orgue	Positif	Récit	Pédale

Montre 8'	Bourdon 8'	Cornet	Flûte 8'
Second8'	Montre 8'		Trompette 8'
Bourdon 8'	Prestant 4'
Prestant 4'	Doublette 2'
Quarte de nazard	Plein jeu
Nazard	Nazard 2 2/3'
Tierce	Tierce 1 3/5'
Fourniture	Trompette 8'
Cymbale	Cromorne 8'
Trompette 8'	Hautbois
Clairon 4'
Cornet

The case of the Great-Organ and the gallery were set up in the 17th century, The Positive was added at the very end of the 18th century by "SOMER" and "DESCHAMPS". During this enlargement of the instrument, a part of the pipework of the 17th century was kept.

The rest is of the hand of Deschamps, beautiful pipework, comparable to that of Clicquot and preserved until now in good state

(the organ had been put in the modern tone by gap of the trackers!). On one of the pipes of the “Second 8’” we can read: " during the big winter of 1792 ".

All the instrumental parts are ancient: the windchests of the Great-Organ and the Solo, the stops action andthe key action of the 17th century.

The works which took place in 1984 and 1985, concerned:

- the complete repair of the gallery’s floor which was restructured

- the complete restoration of the case and its polychromy

- the creation of a Pedal division of two stops :

“Flute 8p” and “Trompette” with its extension to the Fa°

- the restoration of all the instrumental parts.

4 cuneiform bellows was also built, which took place in a space situated on the side of the nave (probably the former room of the original instrument's bellows ).

This instrument suffered recently important damages due to a lack of protections during the recent renovation work of the building.

The pipework and all the instrumental part is cluttered with an important quantity of rubbles and with dust. This organ, classified as "Historical Monument", is no more playable today …

François Couperin -Francis Chapelet

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