The sound is magnificent. The Gloucester Cathedral organ displays its Gallic credentials as Ashley Grote goads it to enunciate French accents with an idiomatic eloquence every bit as convincing as any Cavaillé-Coll, and considerably more rounded than most. Grote’s registrations have an almost uncannily picturesque quality; not least the eerily grotesque Intermezzo of the Third Symphony. Both the organ and what the booklet describes as the cathedral’s ‘cavernous acoustic’ are vividly captured in this top-notch recording.

For many, that would be enough. A peculiarity of organ recordings is that those who buy them are often more concerned with the sound of the instrument than either the music or the performance. They need read no further; sonically this is about as good as it gets.

Grote has clearly thought through his interpretations not just in terms of organ sound (a vital element in any Vierne performance) but also with a clear awareness of structure. He obviously understands that these works are conceived symphonically rather than as a series of vaguely connected aural pictures, and his tempi are invariably well chosen (there’s a tremendous sense of urgency as the Second Symphony’s ‘Choral’ builds to its dazzling climax). And without a doubt he has technique enough to spare when it comes to managing Vierne’s demanding writing.

There is, though, a niggling worry. Registration changes sometimes snag against a departing chord, a swell pedal occasionally gets kicked a little too aggressively, one or two stops pop out of the box rather enthusiastically: all in themselves minor and largely insignificant faults and certainly no detriment to Grote’s very exciting playing. But cumulatively they create a certain fuzziness around the edges, which rather takes the polish off the final result.