He was introduced to music by his mother, a brilliant student of Liszt and Thalberg. At 18, deciding to devote himself to music, he took private lessons in piano, organ and harmony with Alexandre Guilmant. He was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire, where he studies harmony, counterpoint, fugue, compositionunder the leadership of Theodore Dubois.

His early compositions won him twice the gold medal of the Grand Prix Pleyel. As organist, he joined forces with Guilmant in the recitals for the Trocadero in 1878. He assisted and replaced Theodore Dubois as an organ player at the Madeleine church in Paris from 1885 to 1898. Similarly, he often played with Guilmant at organ recitals in the Church of the Holy Trinity. He frequently gave other organ recitals throughout France.

On July 12, 1880 in Paris, he married Henriette Delacoux of Marivault, writer (under the pen name of Camille Bruno), and they had two children, Henry and Denise.

He co-founded the Schola Cantorum in 1894, with Charles Bordes, d'Indy and Alexandre Guilmant, mostly working on programs and repertoire for the organ. He taught harmony from 1896 to 1904. He also worked on the modern repertoire of church music and wrote articles in The Tribune de St. Gervais, the official journal of the Schola Cantorum.

In addition to his musical activities, he took an active interest in poetry, folklore, sculpture and astronomy.