David Sanger (organist)
Encyclopedia
David John Sanger was a concert
organist
, professor and president of the Royal College of Organists
.
and the Royal Academy of Music
. His teachers included Susi Jeans
, Marie-Claire Alain
and Anton Heiller
.
His career as a performer was launched when he won first prize in two international competitions: St Albans
, England
in 1969 and Kiel
, Germany
in 1972. After this, he toured as a solo recitalist. His discography
spans the music of several centuries, and includes the complete organ works of Franck
, the complete organ symphonies of Louis Vierne
, and works by Liszt
and Lefébure-Wély. He also recorded the complete organ music of Bach
for Meridian Records
.
He toured many countries as recitalist - Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Italy, France, Russia, Iceland, the United States, Mexico and South Korea - as well as giving many recitals in the British Isles, notably at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, the City of London Festival
, the Bath Festival
, the Chester Festival, the West Riding Cathedrals' Festival, and many similar occasions. He gave Master Classes in many places including Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo, and was 'Headmaster' of the Church Music Seminar in Bergen for fourteen years. He was frequently partnered by Hans Fagius
from Sweden for Organ Duet Concerts.
With Meridian he recorded a selection of trifles by Lefébure-Wély on the recent Cavaillé-Coll style instrument at Exeter College, Oxford
, for which instrument Sanger also acted as Consultant. Other projects as consultant included new, rebuilt or restored organs at Bromley Parish Church, Haileybury School, St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, Usher Hall
, Edinburgh, Sheffield Cathedral
, Trinity Hall, Cambridge
, Strathclyde University and Leeds Cathedral
.
of the organ. He was professor
of organ at the Royal Academy of Music
in London
, and chairman of the organ department there from 1987-89. Between 1989 and 1997 he was a Consultant Professor at the RAM. He was guest professor for two years at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen
. He was also a Visiting Tutor in organ studies at the Royal Northern College of Music
, Birmingham Conservatoire, and teacher of organ at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
For some years he was professor of organ at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and chairman of the organ department there from 1987-89. Between 1989 and 1997 he was a Consultant Professor at the RAM. He was guest professor for a period of two years at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen. He has been a Visiting Tutor in organ studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, and was a teacher of organ at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. He was also appointed as Consultant Tutor at the Birmingham Conservatoire. He had many successful students at international competition level, including two winners at the Calgary International Organ Competition.
in October 2008, a position he served in until his resignation a week before his death.
, near Cockermouth
, Cumbria
.
After Sanger's body had been found, Police stated that they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the death. An inquest
was opened 1 June 2010. The inquest subsequently ruled in January 2011 that the cause of death was asphyxia
caused by a plastic bag and ligature
and that Sanger had killed himself. His brother Peter stated that David Sanger was outraged by the allegations against him, that he had strongly denied them, but was "driven to suicide
by the cumulative trauma of the events of his final week."
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
, professor and president of the Royal College of Organists
Royal College of Organists
The Royal College of Organists or RCO, is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, but with members around the world...
.
Biography
Sanger was educated at Eltham CollegeEltham College
This article is about the school in London, England. For the school in Research, Australia see Eltham College of Education.Eltham College is an independent school situated in Mottingham in south-east London...
and the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
. His teachers included Susi Jeans
Susi Jeans
Susi Jeans , otherwise Lady Jeans, was an Austrian-born organist, musicologist and noted teacher. Born in Vienna, she was the oldest child of Oscar and Jektaterina Hock. Initially, she trained as a ballet dancer by the modernist teacher Gertrud Bodenwieser, but growing rather rapidly, switched to...
, Marie-Claire Alain
Marie-Claire Alain
Marie-Claire Alain is a French organist and organ teacher best known for her prolific recording career. She is particularly known for her ability to perform substantial works entirely from memory.-Background and education:...
and Anton Heiller
Anton Heiller
Anton Heiller was an Austrian organist, harpsichordist, composer, conductor.-Biography:Heiller was born at Vienna. After undergoing his initial church music training with Wilhelm Mück — organist at the Stephansdom Anton Heiller (September 15, 1923 — March 25, 1979) was an Austrian organist,...
.
His career as a performer was launched when he won first prize in two international competitions: St Albans
St Albans International Organ Festival
The International Organ Festival is a biennial music festival and organ competition held in St Albans, England since 1963. Originally held annually, it was changed to every two years in 1965 due to the complexity of organising the increasingly ambitious programme...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1969 and Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1972. After this, he toured as a solo recitalist. His discography
Discography
Discography is the study and listing of the details concerning sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified musical genres...
spans the music of several centuries, and includes the complete organ works of Franck
César Franck
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
, the complete organ symphonies of Louis Vierne
Louis Vierne
Louis Victor Jules Vierne was a French organist and composer.-Life:Louis Vierne was born in Poitiers, Vienne, nearly blind due to congenital cataracts, but at an early age was discovered to have an unusual gift for music. Louis Victor Jules Vierne (8 October 1870 – 2 June 1937) was a French...
, and works by Liszt
Liszt
Liszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
and Lefébure-Wély. He also recorded the complete organ music of Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
for Meridian Records
Meridian Records
Meridian Records is a British independent record label based in London. It is a long established company having been founded in 1977 and has celebrated 34 years of recording in its reveered classical music 'natural sound'....
.
He toured many countries as recitalist - Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Italy, France, Russia, Iceland, the United States, Mexico and South Korea - as well as giving many recitals in the British Isles, notably at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, the City of London Festival
City of London Festival
The City of London Festival is an annual arts festival that takes place in the City of London, England, over two to three weeks in June and July. The Festival is strongly geared towards classical music, but also offers a programme that includes jazz, world music, opera, film screenings, lectures...
, the Bath Festival
Bath International Music Festival
The Bath International Music Festival, also known as the Bath Music Fest, is held each summer in Bath, South West England. Inaugurated in 1948, the festival includes many genres such as orchestral, contemporary jazz, folk and electronica...
, the Chester Festival, the West Riding Cathedrals' Festival, and many similar occasions. He gave Master Classes in many places including Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo, and was 'Headmaster' of the Church Music Seminar in Bergen for fourteen years. He was frequently partnered by Hans Fagius
Hans Fagius
-Biography:Fagius studied organ with Bengt Berg before entering the Royal College of Music, Stockholm where he studied with Alf Linder. After graduating in 1974 he studied organ privately with Maurice Duruflé in Paris. He taught organ in Gothenburg and Stockholm before being appointed professor of...
from Sweden for Organ Duet Concerts.
Recording
As a recording artist he made over 20 CDs. His début on the organ was with Polydor (DG Début Series) with Bach and Franck recorded in Munich. He recorded the complete organ works of César Franck at the Katarina Church in Stockholm (before the fire) for BIS. His Meridian recordings of Vierne's Six Organ Symphonies received wide acclaim and he was close to completing his recordings of the complete organ works of Bach. The most recent Bach CDs were recorded on the newly constructed, historic-style, Carsten Lund organ in Copenhagen's Garnisons Church.With Meridian he recorded a selection of trifles by Lefébure-Wély on the recent Cavaillé-Coll style instrument at Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
, for which instrument Sanger also acted as Consultant. Other projects as consultant included new, rebuilt or restored organs at Bromley Parish Church, Haileybury School, St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, Usher Hall
Usher Hall
Usher Hall is a concert hall, situated on Lothian Road, in the west end of Edinburgh, Scotland. It has hosted concerts and events since its construction in 1914 and can hold approximately 2,900 people in its recently restored auditorium, which is well loved by performers due to its acoustics...
, Edinburgh, Sheffield Cathedral
Sheffield Cathedral
Sheffield Cathedral is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral status when the diocese was created in 1914...
, Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
, Strathclyde University and Leeds Cathedral
Leeds Cathedral
Leeds Cathedral, formally The Cathedral Church of St Anne, commonly known as Saint Anne's Cathedral, is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Diocese of Leeds, and is the seat of the Bishop of Leeds. It is in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
.
Teaching
In addition to his performing career, Sanger was also a teacherTeacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
of the organ. He was professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of organ at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and chairman of the organ department there from 1987-89. Between 1989 and 1997 he was a Consultant Professor at the RAM. He was guest professor for two years at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. He was also a Visiting Tutor in organ studies at the Royal Northern College of Music
Royal Northern College of Music
The Royal Northern College of Music is a music school in Manchester, England. It is located on Oxford Road in Chorlton on Medlock, at the western edge of the campus of the University of Manchester and is one of four conservatories associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music...
, Birmingham Conservatoire, and teacher of organ at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
For some years he was professor of organ at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and chairman of the organ department there from 1987-89. Between 1989 and 1997 he was a Consultant Professor at the RAM. He was guest professor for a period of two years at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen. He has been a Visiting Tutor in organ studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, and was a teacher of organ at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. He was also appointed as Consultant Tutor at the Birmingham Conservatoire. He had many successful students at international competition level, including two winners at the Calgary International Organ Competition.
Competition juror
Sanger appeared in the jury of many international organ competitions; St Alban's, Paisley, Speyer, Biarritz, Alkmaar, Odense Nűrnberg and Lucerne. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 1985.President of the Royal College of Organists
After being a member since age 15, Sanger was appointed president of the Royal College of OrganistsRoyal College of Organists
The Royal College of Organists or RCO, is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, but with members around the world...
in October 2008, a position he served in until his resignation a week before his death.
Indecent assault charges and death
On 25 May 2010 Sanger appeared in court, charged with four counts of indecent assault and four of gross indecency, all against a boy under the age of 16 and all alleged to have taken place in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Sanger denied all charges and was released on conditional bail. Three days later, on 28 May 2010, police announced that Sanger had been found dead at his converted former chapel (which housed a church organ) in EmbletonEmbleton, Cumbria
Embleton is a small village and civil parish in the Allerdale district in Cumbria, England. It is located east of Cockermouth on the A66 road, and within the boundaries of the Lake District National Park...
, near Cockermouth
Cockermouth
-History:The Romans created a fort at Derventio, now the adjoining village of Papcastle, to protect the river crossing, which had become located on a major route for troops heading towards Hadrian's Wall....
, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
.
After Sanger's body had been found, Police stated that they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the death. An inquest
Inquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
was opened 1 June 2010. The inquest subsequently ruled in January 2011 that the cause of death was asphyxia
Asphyxia
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which primarily affects the tissues and organs...
caused by a plastic bag and ligature
Ligature
Ligature may refer to:* Ligature * Ligature , a characteristic notation style of the Medieval and Renaissance periods of music history* Ligature , a device used to attach a reed to the mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument...
and that Sanger had killed himself. His brother Peter stated that David Sanger was outraged by the allegations against him, that he had strongly denied them, but was "driven to suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by the cumulative trauma of the events of his final week."
Discography
- The Complete Organ Works of J S Bach Vol. I - Meridian Records CDE 84081
- The Complete Organ Works of J S Bach Vol. II - Meridian Records CDE 84144
- The Complete Organ Works of J S Bach Vol. III - Meridian Records CDE 84203
- The Complete Organ Works of J S Bach Vol. IV - Meridian Records CDE 84209
- The Complete Organ Works of J S Bach Vol. V - Meridian Records CDE 84235
- The Complete Organ Works of J S Bach Vol. VI - Meridian Records CDE 84326
- The Complete Organ Works of J S Bach Vol. VII - Meridian Records CDE 84377
- The Complete Organ Works of J S Bach Vol. VIII - Meridian Records CDE 84378
- The Complete Organ Works of J S Bach Vol. IX - Euridice (unpublished recordings [April 2010] from Bodin Parish church, Norway. Organ 2003 by Heiko Lorenz, Wilhelmshaven)
- The Complete Organ Works of J S Bach Vol. X - Euridice (unpublished recordings [April 2010] from Bodin Parish church, Norway. Organ 2003 by Heiko Lorenz, Wilhelmshaven)
- The Complete Organ Works of J S Bach Vol. XI - Euridice (unpublished recordings [April 2010] from Bodin Parish church, Norway. Organ 2003 by Heiko Lorenz, Wilhelmshaven)
- Lefébure-Wély popular organ works - Meridian Records CDE 84296
- Carols from Salisbury - the Cathedral Choir conducted by Richard Seal, accompanied by Colin Walsh - Meridian Records CDE 84068
- Vierne Organ Symphonies 1 & 2 - Meridian Records CDE 84192
- Vierne Organ Symphonies 3 & 4 - Meridian Records CDE 84176
- Vierne Organ Symphonies 5 & 6 - Meridian Records CDE 84171
- Liszt organ works - Meridian Records CDE 84060
- "In the Pleasant Groves" music by Handel - Meridian Records CDE 84157
- César Franck complete organ works - BIS Records BIS CD 214/215
- Duets for organ with Hans Fagius - BIS Records BIS CD 273
- Boëllmann Suite Gothique, opus 25, Mulet "Tu es petra", Jongen Sonata Eroica, opus 94, Gigout menuetto - Saga Classics SDC 9033
- Widor Symphony 5 (complete), Symphony 6 (1st mvt), Symphony 8 (Adagio only) - Saga Classics SDC 9048
- Franck Grande Pièce Symphonique, opus 17 - Resonance 445 014 - 2
Compositions
- "Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis (St. Paul's Service)" (SSA & organ) - Banks Music Publications
- "Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis (St. Paul’s Service)" (SATB & organ) - Banks Music Publications
- "O Filii et Filiae" (SATB, Congregation & (two) organ(s)) - Banks Music Publications
- "Mass for the Parishes" (SATB and organ, with optional congregational participation) - Banks Music Publications
- "Missa Brevis" (SSA & organ) - United Music Publishers
- "Go Forth Into the World in Peace (A Blessing)" (SATB & organ) - Banks Music Publications
- "Let All the World in Every Corner Sing" (SATB, baritone soloist and organ) - Banks Music Publications
- "Father, We Thank Thee for the Night" (S and optional A, and organ) - Banks Music Publications
- "Salve Regina" (SATB, unaccompanied) - Banks Music Publications
- "Spring Rising!" (SATB, soloists and piano) - Banks Music Publications
- "Sweet Was the Song the Virgin Sang" (SATB, unaccompanied) - Banks Music Publications
- "Shepherds, Shake Off Your Drowsy Sleep!" (SATB & organ) - Banks Music Publications
- "Whence is That Goodly Fragrance?" (SATB & organ) - Banks Music Publications
- "From East to West" (SATB & organ) - Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
- "Christmas Day" (SATB & organ) - Oxford University Press
- "The Sun Has Got His Hat on" (close harmony arrangement) - Banks Music Publications
- "Sonata Forte Piano per Organo" - Banks Music Publications
- "Nocturne" - Banks Music Publications
- "Prelude and Fugue for St. Paul’s" - Banks Music Publications
- "Petite Suite Française" - Banks Music Publications
- "Four Miniature Ostinatos" - Banks Music Publications
- "Marche Européenne" - Banks Music Publications
- "A Christmas Rhapsody" - Banks Music Publications
- "Play the Organ, Volumes 1 & 2" - NovelloNovello-Places:England* Novello Theatre, a theatre in the City of Westminster, LondonItaly* Novello, Piedmont, a comune in the Province of Cuneo-People:* Agostino Novello, an Italian religious figure* Antonia Novello, a Puerto Rican physician...
- "Lakeland String Suite" - Banks Music Publications
- "Introduction, Passacaglia & Fugue in E flat minor" Healey Willan - Oxford University Press
- "Voluntary in C by Johann Pepusch" - Oxford University Press
- Favourite Organ Music by J. A. Lefébure-Wély, 2 volumes - Oxford University Press