David Jonies

Despite what is expected to be a years’ long waiting list, the associate director of music at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago would love to once again get behind the organ at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

When David Jonies played at the cathedral in 2015, there was a two-year wait list. He can only imagine how long the wait will be when the restored cathedral opens and the Saturday night concerts resume.

“Who wouldn’t want to go back?” Jonies asked. “While they are rebuilding, the concerts that had been planned all need to be rescheduled first.”

The cathedral, which opened in 1345 and is one of France’s most noted landmarks, was severely damaged in an April fire.

“I was horrified when the news first broke. No one knew how bad the fire was. We thought the whole church might fall down,” Jonies said. “It wasn’t until later that we learned the fire was not as bad. The organ was spared direct exposure, but still the fire was bad enough.”

Performing at the prestigious cathedral is by invitation only or through the recommendation of someone associated with the cathedral. Jonies said he had talked with Notre Dame’s organist when the organist was in Chicago in 2013. The Notre Dame organist told him to submit his name for a performance.

“It is one of the most famous organs and churches in the world,” Jonies said. “It is a place rich in history. As an organist, it was a great pleasure to play there; and Paris is a wonderful place to visit.”

Jonies said he was a little nervous before his September 2015 concert at Notre Dame, “but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.”

As the associate music director at Holy Name, Jonies works with four choirs and has a hand in the music performed at the six weekend Masses.

“I’m definitely busy,” he said.

The Skokie resident said he has yet to be in contact with the organist from Notre Dame in the short time since the fire.

“He surely has so many inquiries. There’s nothing more he could tell me on Facebook,” Jonies said. “I didn’t want to bother him during this.”

Jonies had been to Notre Dame prior to his performance trip and said the structure is simply majestic.

“It is so huge. The pictures don’t do it justice,” he said. “The church is so much bigger than any church in Chicago. The acoustics are very lively. There is a seven-second reverb from the organ; and then there are the famous stained glass windows.”

Jonies went to school in London and has played and worked at Westminster Abbey. He started playing piano at a boarding school and “eased into” playing the organ.

As an organ scholar at Westminster Abbey, he was offered a job in Michigan. After a while there, he applied for a position at Holy Name and has been there for 12 years.

“I am very privileged to be at such a prominent facility,” Jonies said. “I am very happy in Chicago.”

Creating music has the ups and downs of any other job, Jonies pointed out.

“It is a pleasure, but it is also work,” the Holy Name staffer said. “There are great days and there are normal days.”

He said it is too early to know whether the Chicago Archdiocese will have any type of musical fundraiser to assist the rebuilding efforts at Notre Dame, but there have been some discussions about the idea.

Jonies said the outpouring of financial support for rebuilding the cathedral has been encouraging.

“I am not surprised. There is great support for the cathedral’s message,” Jonies said. “But to raise $1 billion in a few days is almost unheard of.”