Christopher Donald Jackson (27 July 1948 – 25 September 2015) was a Canadian

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. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational ...

harpsichordist A harpsichordist is a person who plays the harpsichord. Harpsichordists may play as soloists, as accompanists, as chamber musicians, or as members of an orchestra, or some combination of these roles. Solo harpsichordists may play unaccompanied son ...

and

choral A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...

. He is best known as a specialist in the performance of Renaissance music, and as the co-founder and long time conductor of the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal.

Early life and education

Jackson was born in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

. He graduated from the

École de musique Vincent-d'Indy The école de musique Vincent-d'Indy is a subsidized private music college situated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in the Outremont district, that specializes in music education. Programs L'école Vincent-d'Indy offers programs that result in stu ...

and the

Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal The Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal (CMQM) is a music conservatory located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In addition to the Montreal region, the school takes in students from nearby cities, including Granby, Joliette, St-Jean, ...

Career

As a young man, Jackson worked as an organ builder. He began teaching at

Concordia University Concordia University (French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the th ...

in 1973. Jackson co-founded both the

Société des Concerts d'orgue de Montréal Lactalis is a French multinational dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval, Mayenne, France. The company's former name was Besnier SA. Lactalis is the largest dairy products group in the world, and is the se ...

and the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal in 1974. He became the artistic director of the latter institutions in 1988. He conducted the ensemble in several recordings, including the 1998 '' Heavenly Spheres'', which was awarded a

Félix Award The Félix Award (french: Trophée Félix or Prix Félix) is an award, given by the ''Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois'' (ADISQ) on an annual basis to artists working in the music and humor industry in the Canadian p ...

from the

ADISQ ADISQ (french: Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la video; eng, Québec Association for the Recording, Concert and Video Industries, link=yes) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the indep ...

and the

Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Vocal or Choral Performance The Juno Award for "Classical Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1994, as recognition each year for the best vocal classical music album in Canada. Winners Best Classical Album (Vocal or Choral Performance) (1994 - 2002) *1994 - Claudette ...

in 2000. Jackson taught at the music faculties of

and

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

. He was Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Concordia University from 1994 to 2005. He also held the post of organist and choirmaster at a variety of churches in Montreal, including Eglise Tres-Saint-Nom de Jesus, and St. George's Anglican Church. Jackson received an honorary doctorate from the University of Sudbury in 1999 and was inducted as a member of the Royal Society of Canada in 2009. In 2011 Jackson conducted the Studio de music ancienne for the recording of an album, ''Musica Vaticana''. Jackson died of lung cancer on September 25, 2015 in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

, aged 67.

Selected discography

Heinrich Schütz Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as one of the most important composers of the 17th century. H ...

: ''Christmas Story''. CD Fonovox VOX7847-2 1981 *

H. I. F. Biber Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber ( bapt. 12 August 1644, Stráž pod Ralskem – 3 May 1704, Salzburg) was a Bohemian-Austrian composer and violinist. Biber worked in Graz and Kroměříž before he illegally left his employer, Prince-Bishop Karl L ...

: ''Vespers.'' CD REM311207 1993 *

Giacomo Carissimi (Gian) Giacomo Carissimi (; baptized 18 April 160512 January 1674) was an Italian composer and music teacher. He is one of the most celebrated masters of the early Baroque or, more accurately, the Roman School of music. Carissimi established t ...

: Jonas, Jephté. Marc-Antoine Charpentier : ''le Reniement de Saint Pierre'' H.424. CD Analekta 1994 *

André Campra André Campra (; baptized 4 December 1660 – 29 June 1744) was a French composer and conductor of the Baroque era. The leading French opera composer in the period between Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau, Campra wrote several '' tra ...

, Henry Dumont : ''Le Chant de la Jérusalem des terres froides.'' CD K617 1995 (reissue ''Montréal et Indiens Abenakis'' 2001, ''Musique sacrée en Nouvelle-France'' ACD22764 2017) * Henry Desmarest : 4 ''Motets Lorrains.'' 2 CD K617053 1995 *

Palestrina Palestrina (ancient ''Praeneste''; grc, Πραίνεστος, ''Prainestos'') is a modern Italian city and ''comune'' (municipality) with a population of about 22,000, in Lazio, about east of Rome. It is connected to the latter by the Via Pre ...

: ''Missa Ut re mi fa sol la.'' CD Analekta *''Heavenly spheres - L’Harmonie des Sphères,'' Mouton, Gombert, Lassus, Morales, Palestrina, Victoria. CD CBC *''Sacred Spaces - Lieux sacrés,'' G. Gabrieli and Monteverdi CBC 2002 *''Puer natus est''

Giovanni Gabrieli Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1554/1557 – 12 August 1612) was an Italian composer and organist. He was one of the most influential musicians of his time, and represents the culmination of the style of the Venetian School, at the time of the shift f ...

Concerto Palatino ACD22311 11/2003 *

Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt (; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli, a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in par ...

: Stabat Mater ACD22310 03/2004 *

Marc-Antoine Charpentier Marc-Antoine Charpentier (; 1643 – 24 February 1704) was a French Baroque composer during the reign of Louis XIV. One of his most famous works is the main theme from the prelude of his ''Te Deum'', ''Marche en rondeau''. This theme is still u ...

: ''Messe à quatre chœurs'' H.4, 3 ''Psaumes des Ténèbres'', H.228, H.229, H.230'','' Ensemble Stradivaria, Studio de Musique ancienne de Montréal. CD Atma 2005 *''Rise, O my soul'' Bull,

William Byrd William Byrd (; 4 July 1623) was an English composer of late Renaissance music. Considered among the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he had a profound influence on composers both from his native England and those on the continent. He i ...

Orlando Gibbons Orlando Gibbons ( bapt. 25 December 1583 – 5 June 1625) was an English composer and keyboard player who was one of the last masters of the English Virginalist School and English Madrigal School. The best known member of a musical fami ...

, William Simmes,

Thomas Tomkins Thomas Tomkins (1572 – 9 June 1656) was a Welsh-born composer of the late Tudor and early Stuart period. In addition to being one of the prominent members of the English Madrigal School, he was a skilled composer of keyboard and consort mu ...

, Ward, ACD22506 03/2007 *''Roma Triumphans''

Luca Marenzio Luca Marenzio (also Marentio; October 18, 1553 or 1554 – August 22, 1599) was an Italian composer and singer of the late Renaissance. He was one of the most renowned composers of madrigals, and wrote some of the most famous examples of the f ...

et al. SACD22507 01/2008 *

Orlando di Lasso Orlande de Lassus ( various other names; probably – 14 June 1594) was a composer of the late Renaissance. The chief representative of the mature polyphonic style in the Franco-Flemish school, Lassus stands with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palest ...

: Lagrime di San Pietro ACD22509 09/2010 *''Musica Vaticana'' ACD22508 09/2011 *''Splendore a Venezia'' (compilation) ACD23013 10/2013 *''Terra Tremuit'' : Brumel Missa Et ecce terrae motus ACD22653 03/2014 *Orlando di Lasso : ''Laudate Dominum'' ACD22746 03/2017

References

External links

"Christopher Jackson"
at ''AllMusic'' juno {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Christopher 1948 births 2015 deaths Canadian conductors (music) Male conductors (music) Canadian harpsichordists Male classical organists Concordia University faculty Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal alumni École de musique Vincent-d'Indy alumni McGill University faculty Musicians from Halifax, Nova Scotia Musicians from Montreal Deaths from lung cancer Deaths from cancer in Quebec Canadian classical organists