Durham.

English city. The cathedral dates from 995 when Saxon monks made it the resting-place for St Cuthbert's body. The monastic cathedral was reconstituted a cathedral only in 1541. In 1390 the monastery decided to employ a music instructor to train a group of boys, and from 1416 the list of these instructors is virtually complete. Possibly because of Durham's distance from London, and because from 1576 to 1681 all of its organists came from the choir, few Durham-based musicians of that period became widely known. An exception is the minor canon (and former chorister) William Smith (1603–45), whose Responses are still acclaimed. Smith responded musically to the liturgical innovations of the high-churchman John Cosin (prebendary 1624–60, Bishop 1660–72), who seems to have augmented the choir and organ from about 1625 with two cornetts and two sackbuts.

The organists James Hesletine and Thomas Ebdon, both composers, enjoyed long ‘reigns’ (1711–63 and 1763–1811 respectively). They and John Garth promoted subscription concerts in Durham. John Bacchus Dykes, precentor of the cathedral (1849–62) and later vicar of St Oswald's (1862–76), was a prolific writer of hymn tunes, many of them still popular. Philip Armes (organist, 1862–1907) rekindled interest in 16th- and 17th-century music, editing anthems and services from the cathedral's manuscripts. He helped to establish the Department of Music at the University of Durham. His scheme for a degree in music was accepted in 1886 and he was appointed its first professor in 1897.

The Dean and Chapter Library holds the cathedral's music manuscripts, Philip Falle's (1656–1742) collection with many rare printed items, music used by Richard Fawcett (1714–82) and the music section of the family library housed in Bamburgh Castle in the late 18th century by John Sharp (1723–92).

Harrison & Harrison, organ builders in Durham since 1872, built the Royal Festival Hall organ in London, organs in many English cathedrals, and others in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Nigeria and the USA.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

B. Crosby: A Catalogue of Durham Cathedral Music Manuscripts (Oxford, 1986)

W. Shaw: The Succession of Organists (Oxford, 1991)

I. Spink: Restoration Cathedral Music 1660–1714 (Oxford, 1995)

BRIAN CROSBY