James Douglas, composer
Professor
James Douglas (born 1932) is a Scottish classical composer. He
received his music education at Heriot Watt College, Paris
Conservatoire, Mozarteum Salzburg, Hochschule Munich. He is
Professional Member of the British Academy of Composers and
Songwriters, London.
Douglas was born in Dumbarton. He was brought up in Edinburgh and
moved to live in North West Scotland in 2006. Douglas has composed
over 2000 works including music for a wide variety of instruments
and a number of choral pieces. He damaged his hearing in his right
ear in a playground accident, and later in life became profoundly deaf since
contracting an ear infection in 1991, but has continued to compose.
Deputy Organist, St. Thomas' Church, Edinburgh, 1948–50;
Director of Music, Nicolson Square Church, Edinburgh, 1953–63;
Mayfield Church, Edinburgh, 1963–69; Reid Memorial Church,
Edinburgh, 1969–73; Music Staff, Edinburgh Academy, 1967–1979;
Director of Music, Christ Church, Edinburgh, 1986–91; Director of
Ensemble, 'The Glorious Company', 2004-
Composer James
Douglas' education, includes: Edinburgh, Paris, Munich, Salzburg and
London (LRAM and ARCM). Debut: Wienersaal (Mozarteum), Salzburg,
1951. He is especially grateful for the teaching of Professor
Hermann Reutter (Munich / Salzburg) and Professor Henri Lauth
(Paris).
Notable performances of the music of James Douglas
have taken place all over the world, including the Usher Hall, St.
Mary's Cathedral and
St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, all the major
cathedrals in London including Westminster Abbey, Notre Dame de
Paris, l'Eglise St. Roch, Paris, and St. Thomas Church, Fifth
Avenue, New York City. Transmissions have been broadcast on national
TV, BBC Radio 3, Radio 2, Radio Scotland, The Open University and on
Local, National and International radio and TV stations.
He married, as his second wife, Helen Torrance Fairweather on 16 April 1968.
The photograph of James is Copyright 2010, Katharine H. Douglas (His
daughter).
Obituary
The Scotsman - 8 April 2022
James Douglas. Born 4 July, 1932 in Dumbarton. Died: 1 February,
2022 in Ullapool, aged 89
James Douglas was born in Dumbarton in 1932. His mother died
when he was nine months old, leaving him to be brought up by his
maternal grandmother in Edinburgh. For anyone who knew James, they
would know that music was his life and his unique memorable talent.
James was educated at Parsons Green Primary School and gained a
bursary to Broughton High School, one of only two pupils in his age
group to do so. However, his education was hampered by the onset of
the Second World War in 1939. During the war, he and his grandmother
were evacuated to Dunbar, Maybole, and Broughton, as it was believed
that Edinburgh was in danger of imminent attack from the air. After
finishing school, his studies took him to London, Munich, Salzburg
and Paris, where he gained a LRAM and an ARCM, studying with
Professor Henri Lauth and Professor Herman Reuter, both of whom had
a profound influence on his life and his music.
In 1948 James
Douglas began his career as a church organist, initially at South
Leith Parish Church, Edinburgh, followed by employment at Nicolson
Square Methodist Church, Mayfield Salisbury, Reid Memorial and
latterly at Christ Church, Morningside. Throughout his career as an
organist, he was also an accomplished accompanist, including at the Oxenfoord Castle Summer School in East Lothian and at International
summer schools in both Salzburg and Munich.
In 1961, James
Douglas became a father and in this period, he wrote much
contemporary atonal music, including various organ works, such as De
Profundis and Alleluia pro Nativitas. He became a music master at
first at Stewart’s Melville School in Edinburgh, followed by a long
spell at The Edinburgh Academy where his two sons were educated.
Having lost his first wife in 1967, he met his second wife Helen
(née Fairweather), whilst they both were teaching at The Academy,
and they married in 1968.
In 1973 James was commissioned by
poet Robert Nye to provide the music for his libretto for Mask: The
Seven Deadly Sins, which received its world premiere in Stirling,
and was performed during The Edinburgh International Festival in St
Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral.
In 1979 he left Edinburgh Academy
to form his own music publishing company – Scotus Music Publishing –
to represent Scottish composers worldwide, which ran until 1981. In
1986 he returned to his love for the organ, with the appointment as
organist and choirmaster to Christ Church, Morningside, Edinburgh as
well as establishing the music publisher Eschenbach Editions and
associated Record Company Caritas Records, which are now run by his
daughter Katharine.
James Douglas’ setting of the Ave Verum
for SATB Choir won The Gold Medal Prize at the Compozizione Prize in
Arezzo in 1988, his choral music also included settings of Celtic
prayers by the late Rev Canon David Adam, Holy Island as well as an
Opera based on the life of St Cuthbert. During his time at Christ
Church James gave over 100 concerts including The Christ Church
Sequence, 75 pieces dedicated to those who had helped him over his
musical career.
In 2006 James and Helen Douglas moved to the
North West of Scotland where he and fellow musicians continued to
give concerts at The Macphail Theatre and in Inverness Cathedral.
Organist Michael Bonaventure continues to give performances of
Douglas’ major organ works today.
When James Douglas’ death
was notified, the only correction required was the changing of
Occupation from: Composer (retired) to: Composer. James Douglas
never stopped composing.
He is survived by his widow Helen,
sons Stephen and Gavin, daughter Katharine and his three
grand-daughters Susannah, Isabel and Maddie.
Any contributions to this item will be
gratefully accepted
Errors and Omissions
|
|
The Forum
|
|
What's new?
|
|
We are looking for your help to improve the accuracy of The Douglas
Archives.
If you spot errors, or omissions, then
please do let us know
Contributions
Many articles are stubs which would benefit from re-writing.
Can you help?
Copyright
You are not authorized to add this page or any images from this page
to Ancestry.com (or its subsidiaries) or other fee-paying sites
without our express permission and then, if given, only by including
our copyright and a URL link to the web site.
|
|
If you have met a brick wall
with your research, then posting a notice in the Douglas Archives
Forum may be the answer. Or, it may help you find the answer!
You may also be able to help others answer their queries.
Visit the
Douglas Archives Forum.
2 Minute Survey
To provide feedback on the website, please take a couple of
minutes to complete our
survey.
|
|
We try to keep everyone up to date with new entries, via our
What's New section on the
home page.
We also use
the Community
Network to keep researchers abreast of developments in the
Douglas Archives.
Help with costs
Maintaining the three sections of the site has its costs. Any
contribution the defray them is very welcome
Donate
Newsletter
If you would like to receive a very occasional newsletter -
Sign up!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
