John Ernest Cook (11 October 1918 – 12 August 1984) was an Anglo-American organist, composer and church musician.

Early life, education and early career

John Cook was born at

Maldon, Essex Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the Blackwater Estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea Salt which is produced i ...

on 11 October 1918. After leaving St. John's School, Leatherhead, he entered

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 250 graduate students. The c ...

as an organ scholar where he came under the influence of Hugh Allen and

Boris Ord Boris Ord (born Bernhard Ord), (9 July 1897 – 30 December 1961) was a British organist and choirmaster of King's College, Cambridge (1929-1957). During World War II he served in the Royal Air Force. He is best known for his choral setting of ...

. A conscientious objector to the second World War, he left his Cambridge studies prematurely to drive an ambulance during the Blitz of London. Following the War, Cook spent three years at

The Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. It was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

Theatre in London as an assistant to Herbert Menges. He also worked as a copyist for

Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams ( ; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

on the score of the 1948 film ''Scott of the Antarctic'' and with

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, o ...

on his chamber opera ''Albert Herring.''

Later career

In 1949 Cook was appointed as Organist and Choirmaster at

Church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon The Collegiate Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon, is a Grade I listed parish church of the Church of England in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. It is often known simply as Holy Trinity Church or as Shakes ...

where he served for five years before accepting a similar post at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Ontario. It was during this time that he joined the teaching faculty of the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...

and commenced his nine-year association with the

Stratford Festival The Stratford Festival is a repertory theatre organization that operates from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shak ...

as resident conductor and composer. Cook left Ontario in 1962 to claim the coveted post of Organist and Choirmaster at Church of the Advent in Boston—a landmark Episcopal church in the

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholicism, Catholic heritage (especially pre-English Reformation, Reformation roots) and identity of the Church of England and various churches within Anglicanism. Anglo-Ca ...

tradition. Having established himself as a gifted organist, conductor and composer, he joined the faculties of the

Longy School of Music Longy School of Music of Bard College is a private music school in Cambridge, Massachusetts associated with Bard College. Founded in 1915 as the Longy School of Music, it was one of the four independent degree-granting music schools in the Boston ...

in Cambridge and the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT).

Illness and death

Having battled with

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

for two decades, Cook died on 12 August 1984. A tribute concert was held at the Church of the Advent on 19 October that year and featured a chorus of his friends led by choirmaster James Busby and organists Marian Ruhl Metson and Barrie Cabena.A Concert to Honour the Memory of John Cook. 19 October 1984. rogram notes/ref>

Compositions

Organ

*Improvisation on ''Veni Creator Spiritus'' (1956) *Invocation and Allegro Giojoso (1956)
Paean on 'Divinum Mysterium' (1956)
*Five Studies in Form of a Sonata (1955) (dedicated to

Healey Willan James Healey Willan (12 October 1880 – 16 February 1968) was an English and Canadian organist and composer, and an influential teacher. He composed more than 800 works including operas, symphonies, chamber music, a concerto, and pieces for ...

) * *Fantasy on A Scottish Psalm Tune, Martyrs. (1966) *Variations on ''Alles ist an Gottes Segen'' (1967) *Scherzo, Dance and Reflection (1965) *Flourish and Fugue (1962) *Mr. Purcell's Wedding March (1959) (Originally published as 'Hornpipe') *Passacharlia (1963, 1980) (Originally published as 'Passacaglia') *Concerto for Organ and Strings *Chaconne in D minor (arr.) (1955) *Chaconne from "King Arthur" (arr.) (1953)

Choral

*Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in D Major (1963) *Author of Light (1960) *Te Deum Laudamus (1965) *Missa Brevis in D (1963) *Fear No More the Heat O' the Sun *Christ Is Our Cornerstone *Morning Canticles *O God, The King of Glory: Anthem for Ascensiontide *A Short Mass for Men's Voices (MS) (1963) *Te Deum Laudamus and Jubilate in G Major (1952)

Other

*Three Carols for Soprano *Toccata for Organ and Brass *Incidental music for '' The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'' (Broadway) *Orchestration of ''

The Green Table ''The Green Table'' is a ballet by the German choreographer Kurt Jooss. His most popular work, it depicts the futility of peace negotiations of the 1930s. It was the first work to be fully notated using kinetography Laban (Labanotation). It is ...

'' for Ballets Jooss.

Selected recordings

Organ Music of John Cook – Raven OAR-150

References

External links

''Technique for Choirs by John Cook'' Published by the Royal Canadian College of Organists (1960)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, John English organists British male organists People educated at St John's School, Leatherhead Academic staff of the University of Western Ontario Longy School of Music of Bard College faculty MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences faculty Diabetes-related deaths People from Maldon, Essex 1918 births 1984 deaths Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century English composers 20th-century organists 20th-century British male musicians English conscientious objectors