John Dexter Interview

Church Music Dublin presents an interview with well-known Dublin-based organist and conductor John Dexter. John came to Dublin in 1977 as Organist and Master of the Choristers at St Patrick’s Cathedral, and since leaving that position in 2001 he has enjoyed a busy career as a teacher and conductor.

In this interview David O’Shea speaks to John about his early experience as a cathedral chorister, his thoughts on musical standards, and the challenges that face parish church musicians.

Click play below to listen now, or download here to listen later.

John-Dexter-interview-final-edit.mp3

John Dexter

Here is a recording of Guildford Cathedral Choir singing Allegri’s famous ‘Miserere mei’, with a very young John as treble soloist (listen out for his striking ornamentation).

Here are two fine recordings of Choral Evensong from St Patrick’s Cathedral from early in John’s tenure at the Cathedral:

John also recommends, as a demonstration of the high standards he speaks about in the interview, a recent recording of the choir of St Patrick’s Cathedral, directed by Stuart Nicholson, which is available at Regent Records.

And finally, here is a recording by John of his organ arrangement of the ‘Derry Air’ on the organ of St Patrick’s Cathedral, from the 1996 CD ‘Organ Music from the Island of Ireland’.