Saturday 11th March
2pm - 4pm / Free Entry (with retiring collection)

James Lancelot retired from the post of Master of the Choristers and Organist of Durham Cathedral in 2017 after thirty-two years. Prior to that he was successively a Chorister of St Paul’s Cathedral (where he sang at the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill), Organ Scholar of King’s College, Cambridge and Sub-Organist of Winchester Cathedral. He studied with Ralph Downes, Gillian Weir and Nicholas Danby.

James was appointed a Lay Canon of Durham Cathedral in 2002, and also held the appointment of Durham University Organist. He holds Honorary Fellowship of the Royal School of Church Music, the Guild of Church Musicians, and St Chad’s College and Hatfield College, Durham; Durham University conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Music on him in 2014. He is a Past President of the Incorporated Association of Organists.

Upon his retirement, the Bishop of Durham appointed James as Canon Organist Emeritus of Durham Cathedral. He then moved to live in Tewkesbury and it was an especial delight to be invited to become Interim Organist and Director of Music at Worcester Cathedral between September 2018 and Easter 2019. Subsequently, between January and March 2020, he was Acting Organist of New College, Oxford.

James grew up in King’s Norton, south Birmingham and as a boy he made several visits to Worcester Cathedral, attending Evensong and concerts in the Three Choirs Festival, but never visited St Swithun’s.

James continues to pursue an active recital career both in Britain and abroad; he has given concerts in almost all English cathedrals and in many European countries as well as New Zealand, the USA and Russia. He has many broadcasts and recordings to his credit, including two DVDs on the organ of Durham Cathedral. Engagements in recent years have included a Christmastide performance of Messiaen’s La Nativité du Seigneur in the Philharmonie Essen, a recording of music by Sweelinck on the Metzler organ in Trinity College, Cambridge, and many recitals, including Gloucester, Birmingham, and Coventry Cathedrals and the Basilica of St Nicholas in Amsterdam. Engagements this year included concerts in Uppsala and Bodø in Norway.