John Dykes Bower

Sir John Dykes Bower CVO (13 August 1905 – 29 May 1981) was an English cathedral organist who served in Truro Cathedral, Durham Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral.[1][2]

Background

Bower was born in Gloucester into a musical family, a descendant of the hymn writer John Bacchus Dykes.[2] He was one of four brothers, including Stephen Dykes Bower, who became a famous church architect.

He was educated at Cheltenham College and studied organ under Sir Herbert Brewer. He was an organ scholar at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he was the John Stewart Rannoch scholarship in sacred music.[2]

Church musician

Bower was the organist at St Paul's Cathedral for more than 30 years. Following his death in 1981, he was eulogised as "an austere perfectionist with a strong feeling for the big occasion." Major services he played included the Thanksgiving service after the Second World War and at the state funeral for Sir Winston Churchill.[2]

He was also a sub-conductor at the coronations of both King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. In 1953, he toured North America with the St Paul's choir and conducted a concert at the White House before President Dwight D. Eisenhower.[2]

From 1936 to 1969, Bower also served as organ professor at the Royal College of Music and was associate director of the Royal School of Church Music.[2]

Together with G.H.Knight, he co-edited the "revised edition" of Hymns Ancient and Modern, which was published in 1950.

Career

He was organist of:

Cultural offices
Preceded by
Hubert Stanley Middleton		 Organist and Master of the Choristers of Truro Cathedral
1926-1929		 Succeeded by
Guillaume Ormond
Preceded by
William Henry Harris		 Organist and Master of the Choristers of New College, Oxford
1929-1933		 Succeeded by
Sydney Watson
Preceded by
Arnold D. Culley		 Organist and Master of the Choristers of Durham Cathedral
1933-1936		 Succeeded by
Conrad William Eden
Preceded by
Stanley Marchant		 Organist and Master of the Choristers of St Paul's Cathedral
1936-1968		 Succeeded by
Christopher Hugh Dearnley

References
  1. Watkins Shaw. The Succession of Organists
  2. "Obituary: Sir John Dykes Bower". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 3 June 1981. p. 18.
  3. Scholes, Percy A. (1970) The Oxford Companion to Music, 10th ed. London: Oxford U. P.; p. 123b
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