In 1863, the church authorities of Saint‑Sernin commissioned Théodore Puget to build a choir organ featuring five full stops with an added 16′ Bourdon. As the basilica’s musical needs grew, a larger and richer instrument was planned. Puget père et fils were entrusted once more with the project, and the organ was completed and inaugurated on 27 January 1876 by Omer Guiraud, the cathedral’s grand‑organist.

In 1887, during the restoration of the grand organ by Cavaillé‑Coll, the choir organ also underwent significant modifications and full re‑voicing. The original Harmonique Prestant was replaced with an octave Flûte on the Swell, the Dulciana 4′ made way, and a new Prestant was transferred to the grand organ. These upgrades were officially accepted on 29 June 1887.

In the 1980s, organbuilder Bertyl Soutoul upgraded the grand‑organ’s Clairon stop to a Plein Jeu, and during the extensive restoration of the main organ in 1996, the choir organ was also restored. Further refinements were added by Patrice Bellet in 2005, ensuring the voices of the instrument remained vibrant and authentic.

This choir organ remains an eloquent testimony to the Puget family’s craftsmanship — modest in size yet rich in timbre — complementing Cavaillé‑Coll’s grand instrument and contributing to the basilica’s exceptional musical heritage.

Jean-Claude Guidarini