THE organist of the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, Olivier Latry, made his third Dublin appearance on Wednesday night. The occasion was the inaugural concert on the recently restored organ of the Pro Cathedral. The original 19th century instrument in this church was built by the Dublin organ builder John White. A major rebuild, yielding the current casework, was undertaken by William Hill around the turn of the century. Further work was carried out in the 1930s by Henry Willis and in 1971 by J. W. Walker, which firm also carried out the latest renovation.

The organ was heard at its best in the glowing warmth of the opening Choral in E by Cesar Franck and thoroughly taken through its paces in the kaleidoscopic play of the extended closing improvisation.

Elsewhere, Latry's programme seemed a strange one for so special an occasion. Brahms's late chorale preludes do not readily yield musical results worthy of the composer's genius, and this occasion was no more successful than most.

As throughout the evening, Latry delivered performances of impeccable technical control, but ones in which the musical temperature remained surprisingly low. The restored instrument appeared to yield with ease all that was asked of it, its tendency to protest at climactic urgings now, happily, a thing of the past.