As a Peeters pupil, Gerard Gillen brings a sympathetic sensitivity, opening the disc with three of the finest Chorale Preludes (out of a total exceeding 300). Wachet auf! and Wie schön nod reverentially toward Bachian models, whereas O Gott, du frommer Gott owes something to Karg-Elert or Whitlock. Ave maris stella fares well overall although Gillen’s playing is not finger-perfect. There are several instances of smudgy passagework. The Largo (a first cousin of the celebrated Aria) harks once more to Bach; the Final builds up impressively to an authentically French-sounding, wind-robbing concluding chord.

And so to Franck. The Prélude, fugue et variation receives one of the most satisfying interpretations heard recently. The sensuous shaping of the Prelude dispels the notion of Franck as an austere pedagogue. Gillen propels the Fugue effortlessly towards the varied repeat of the Prelude. The Pièce héroïque chugs along magisterially and sets up the listener for the massive Grande pièce symphonique, a momentous piece that marks the birth of the French organ symphony genre. A less experienced player can let it ramble. Not so here: there is a palpable sense of excitement where appropriate and a tender sumptuousness in slower sections.

The generously specified three-manual organ of St Mary’s Cathedral, Dublin, is an ideal instrument for such a wholesome and welcome meal. The recording quality and production are of the highest order.