Douglas Major

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Douglas Major
Douglas Major

Douglas Major (born 1953 near Scranton, Pennsylvania) is a prominent American composer of sacred music and concert organist. He is the former choral director and organist at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, DC.

At just twenty-one years of age in 1974, he was appointed assistant organist at the National Cathedral by Paul Calloway. He subsequently succeeded Richard Wayne Dirksen as organist and choirmaster at the Cathedral in 1988, administering one of the country’s largest church music programs and concert schedules, which were frequently attended by heads-of-state and televised nationally.

In 2002, he resigned from the National Cathedral after 28 years of distinguished service to concentrate on concertizing and composing. As an internationally recognized performer, Major frequently tours throughout North America, Europe and the Far East.

He has made several compact disc recordings playing the Washington Cathedral's large pipe organ.

His compositions include many works for organ and choir. Particularly noteworthy are:

  • Concertino
  • Festival Te Deum
  • Love Poem to God
  • Mary's Lullaby
  • Requiem Mass in C Minor
  • Sing to the Lord a new song

Douglas Major now lives in Rockport, Massachusetts, and is Music Director at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Marblehead, Mass.

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