John Sanders

John Derek Sanders OBE, FRCO (23 November 1933 – 23 December 2003) was an English organist, conductor, choir trainer and composer. He was organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1967 to 1994, and director of the Three Choirs Festival from 1968 to 1994.

Education Born in Wanstead, Essex, he attended Felsted School on a music scholarship, where he had his first organ lessons. In 1950 he began two years study at the Royal College of Music leading to his ARCM diploma.

This was followed by a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Cambridge where Sanders was an organ scholar at Gonville and Caius College and was influenced by Patrick Hadley.

Early career National Service in the Royal Artillery followed his graduation, but even here Sanders found opportunities for orchestral conducting. Following his retirement, Gloucester Cathedral granted him the title of Organist Emeritus.

Retirement gave Sanders more time to pursue composition (although he continued his work at Cheltenham until 1997). He also moved away from Gloucester – to Upton Bishop, near Ross-on-Wye – where he continued to play the organ in the parish church.

Late in 2003 the Guild of Church Musicians marked his contribution to church music in a special service at Westminster Cathedral. He was recovering from a hip operation in Hereford Hospital when he died of pneumonia on 23 December 2003.

Musical compositions Sanders's compositions include:

Choral

Liturgical Festival Te Deum (1962) Preces and responses (based on the Dresden Amen) (1983) Te Deum (1985) Jubilate Deo (1986) Two Prayers (1988) A Canticle of Joy SS + organ (1991) The Reproaches (Publication date 1993) St Mark Passion (Publication date 1993) The Firmament (2000) – for the choir of St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham

Other Requiem Gloucester Visions cantata (1995) Urbs Beata cantata for brass, double choir and soloists (2001), Three Choirs commission

Organ Soliloquy (1977) Toccata (1979)