Église protestante Sainte-Aurélie

In France, the Église protestante Sainte-Aurélie brings architecture, church history, and organ music together within a building shaped across centuries. Its central feature is an organ built by André Silbermann in 1718.

The instrument reflects Silbermann’s Saxon influence, while its broad sound supported the vigorous Lutheran singing of the congregation. The church itself was rebuilt in the 1760s. Later organ builders altered the instrument, adding a cromorne and a Lutheran crown bearing Psalm 98. Albert Schweitzer recorded Bach music here in 1936.

A major reconstruction in the 1950s widened its repertoire while preserving the organ’s distinctive character and clear, golden tone. The restoration completed in 2015 returned attention to its Baroque sound. Its façade appears less slender than many French organ cases, giving the instrument a broad presence within Sainte-Aurélie. Wood and gilding surround the organ’s architectural presence. Its restorations connect the Silbermann family, later organ builders, and modern craftsmanship with the instrument’s changing history. The church preserves that story in wood, metal, gold, and sound.