Daniel Roth: an ambassador in and through music
Daniel Roth: a passionate ambassador of the organ

"The message has got through! You have enriched us and for that we are grateful to you"

With these words Michael Grueber welcomed a huge international Birthday gathering on 5th November in Saint Sulpice in Paris. Over 100 guests had made the journey to Paris to offer congratulation and thanks to their friend and teacher.

The outward token of this gratitude was the presentation of the Congratulatory Publication "Light in the darkness – Lumière dans les ténèbres“- for Daniel Roth's 75th Birthday" which contained 429 pages, 20 editorial contributions and 145 contributions by sponsors.

5th November was a great red-letter day in honour of Daniel Roth. In the celebration in the church we heard a performance of "Missa beuronensis" for choir and organ together with the monastic choir of Beuron/Danube Abbey, followed by a concert of Gregorian Chant and organ improvisation. In the afternoon the ceremony in the crypt on Saint Sulpice.

The list of guests included Father Lacroix, representing the parish of St Sulpice, Dr Michael Worbs (Unesco Ambassador and President of the Execitive Council), Dr Ralph and Dr Christiane Paland (Cesar Frank Society), Prof. Jean-Paul Sorg (Albert Schweitzer Association), Prof. Dr. Peter Reifenberg (Erbach Court, Mainz), Jacques Dondelinger (Friends of the Organ, Dudelange), Thomas Dahl (Hamburg), Frank Scheffler (Bad Nauheim), Prof. Jens Wollenschlaeger (Tuebingen).

Prof. Dr Birger Petersen gave a "laudatio" in which he described Daniel Roth's life: The Alsace, Albert Schweitzer, via Albert Schweitzer to the organ and to J.S. Bach, 1960 entry into the Paris Conservatory, 1985 Titulaire at St Sulpice, Professor at Music Colleges and Conservatories of Washington, Marseilles, Strasbourg, Saarbruecken and finally Frankfurt/Main.

The speeches were interspersed with a rich musical offerings. An ad-hoc choir sang the anthem "in manus tuas" by Daniel Roth and a birthday cannon composed specially by Gregor Simon. The Paris pianist Nicolas Celero played his own composition and Walter Hirt and Leopold Neder Schneider played entertaining piano music for 4 hands.