For his debut recording with Ad Fontes, Matthew Martin has brought together a recital showcasing two of the greatest organist-composers of twentieth-century France. Duruflé, a notorious perfectionist, looked to his profound faith and the great lineage of French composers – Debussy, Dukas, Fauré and Ravel – for inspiration. Alain, an ardent voice in the avant-garde, developed his own distinctive language before his tragic death in 1940, aged just 29. This prompted Duruflé to compose a prelude and fugue, à la mémoire de Jehan Alain, mort pour la France, in tribute to his friend. Having spent much of his own life immersed in Gregorian chant – also a palpable influence on the music of this commemorative pairing – Matthew Martin was himself a pupil of the late Marie-Claire Alain in Paris, which provided rare insights into her brother’s music. The lively voicing and colour of the Ruffatti organ of Buckfast Abbey provides the ideal vehicle for this programme, expertly captured in a building which lives and breathes the music.