The lecture recital, given on April 18, 1983, began with biographical background that suggests the influences on the compositional development of both the composer, Charles Widor, and the poet, Paul Bourget, of the Chanons de mer. Songs were chosen to examine the characteristics that not only enhance Widor's poetic rendering, but impart to the Chansons de mer the more intellectual appeal often desired in today's concert repertoire.

The alternatim practice is one of the oldest and longest observed liturgical practices in the French Catholic Church. With the gradual addition of the organ to the practice beginning in the fifteenth century, the organ came to play an important liturgical function that exists to this day. Organ improvisations in the liturgy gave rise to composed organ masses such as those of François Couperin (1668-1733). Composition of the Baroque organ mass continued through the Classical period and into the nineteenth century. Liturgical and musical changes through the decades of the nineteenth century, however, led to a gradual cessation of the composition of organ masses. These same changes gave birth to a new type of liturgical mass that, while not performed in the traditional alternatim style, displayed stylistic and liturgical influences from the Baroque organ masses of the preceding centuries. Messe, op. 4, of Camille Saint-Säens (1835-1921) was composed in 1856 in the midst of nineteenth-century changes and reforms. This mass is the pivotal event between the masses of the preceding generation and those that were to follow, notably those of Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) and Louis Vierne (1870-1937). Because the viva-voce presentation of this document featured a performance of Louis Vierne's Messe solennelle, op. 16 using a solo organ edition of the work, Appendix A includes considerations for the work as well as an overview of four solo editions.

I mitten av 1800-talet inleddes i Frankrike en renässans för den tidiga kyrkomusiken i allmänhet och den gregorianska sången i synnerhet. Charles-Marie Widor var en av dem som tog intryck av denna rörelse och genom den utvecklade och delvis omvärderade sin syn på musik i kyrkan. Han baserade sina sista två orgelsymfonier, Symphonie Gothique och Symphonie Romane på kyrkans mest centrala teman – Kristi födelse och uppståndelse. Mitt syfte med denna uppsats och att studera dessa orgelsymfonier har varit att fördjupa mig i hur gregorianiken påverkade Widors kompositionsstil och hur konsertant musik utanför gudstjänstens liturgi kan bära ett kyrkligt budskap baserat i dess valda teman. Jag har velat dokumentera min process att som organist och kyrkomusiker studera in och komma fram till en medveten konstnärlig gestaltning av symfonierna. Widor blev med åren övertygad om att kyrkomusik måste vara baserad på kyrkans egna teman för att kunna bli sakral konst. Han använde sig också av en palett av former och kompositionstekniska grepp för att variera musiken i symfoniska dimensioner. Dessa två orgelsymfonier är Widors bidrag till den rörelse som inte bara återupprättade utan gav den gregorianska sången högsta status i den romersk-katolska kyrkan vid sekelskiftet 1900.

The lecture recital was given on November 20, 1979. The final movement of Widor's Symphonie Gothique, opus 70, the first movement of Widor's Symphonie Romane, opus 73, and the first movement of Dupré's Symphonie-Passion, opus 23 were performed following a lecture on Gregorian Chant in the organ symphonies of Widor and Dupré. The lecture included a brief historical discussion of the decline of organ literature following the French Classical School, the development of the Modern French Organ School beginning with the establishment of the organ department at the Paris Conservatory, the revival of plainsong and the establishment of the School of Solesmes, and the influence of César Franck and the organ symphony. The main body of the lecture included biographical sketches of Widor and Dupré, a discussion of the general characteristics of their organ symphonies, with the emphasis upon those movements specifically employing the use of Gregorian chant.