Born in Liège, Belgium, he spent most of his life in Paris, first as a student at the Conservatoire and then for forty years as organist at St Clotilde. Renowned for his improvisational skills as well as for a piety which inspired his work, he wrote much for the organ. Other compositions include a Symphony in D Minor and an important violin sonata. He died after he was knocked down by a horse-drawn tram.
