James Douglas (composer)

James Douglas

James Douglas (born 1932) is a Composer, Accompanist, Conductor, Recording artist and Organist.

Douglas was born in Dumbarton. He was based in Edinburgh until recently and moved to live in North West Scotland in 2006. Douglas has composed a wide variety of pieces of music: instrumental, choral, organ, flute and more.

Career

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- Records exclusively for Caritas Records (distribution global).

Education

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).

Compositions

Compositions include: 15 symphonies (Sky Canticles, Musica della Passione, Symphony with Organ: Clouds of Mystery, From the Deeps, Majestas Divini, Musica dalla Serenissima, Rituals in Transformed Time, Meditation on the Divine, Fire and Love, A Time for Singing, Torridon, Canti Spirituali, Le Mystere de Noel, La Corona, Metamorphosis), String Quartet 1 (Missa); String Quartet II (Metrum), orchestral works, 32 flute / flute and piano works, cello music, music for brass (Formations, Emblems & Brass Quintet: Sonnets for Orpheus 2011), The Christ Church Sequence (75 chamber works 2001-06), The Glorious Sequence (instrumental works 2006-), The Highlands and Islands Sequence (66 works 1968-2007), Music for the 21st Century 1-5 (2008), Lindisfarne Music (words by David Adam), A Tide That Sings (words by G R D Maclean), piano music, 36 recital works for organ (including Advent Meditations, From the Deeps, Symphony for Organ: Clouds of Mystery, Praise Sion; Switzerland, Concerto for Organ, Trilogia, A Vision, Nativity Recessional, Le Soleil dansant, High Mountains I, Glory to Glory, To the Cairngorms and Inverness Cathedral). Full Biographical details can be found in entries in Debrett's People of Today, The Oxford Dictionary of Music and International Who's Who published by Routledge.

Performances

Notable performances of the music of James Douglas have taken place all over the world, including the Usher Hall, St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh and St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, all of the major cathedrals in London including Westminster Abbey, Paris: Notre Dame de Paris, l'Eglise St. Roch, Paris, and St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City. Kingfisher Songs (Robert Nye) performed by Joan Busby (Mezzo-soprano) and Bernard Sumner (Piano) BBC Radio. Mysterion (25 Brass in 5 choirs) for 150th Anniversary Concert of Edinburgh Academy, Usher Hall, Edinburgh, conductor Kevin Anderson. Organist Michael Bonaventure has given the first performances of much of James Douglas' organ music and Flautist George Gwilt has been responsible for all of the World Premieres of Douglas' flute compositions.

Transmissions

James Douglas' music has 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 throughout the world. A DVD has now been produced called 'A Musical Journey' featuring nearly 200 photos by Helen Douglas with a soundtrack by James Douglas called 'The Ullapool Experience.'

Personal Highlights

As Performer / Conductor (all choral works were performed with Orchestral accompaniment): J S Bach: Christmas Oratorio (Conductor); Ascension Oratorio; Cantata: Wachet Auf; Brandenberg Concerto No. 5 (directed from Harpsichord); Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I & II; Goldberg Variations (Harpsichord); Complete Organ Works Britten: Conductor: St. Nicholas (Conductor); Noye’s Fludde; 3 Canticles G F Handel: Conductor: Messiah Part 1; Wasser Musik Suite 1; Klaviersuiten Alles (Harpsichord) Schutz: Christmas Story (Conductor and Harpsichord); Seven Last Words James Douglas: Music for the Trinity (Conductor, St. Giles Cathedral 1964); Melodies: Duparc, Debussy & Ravel (Paris 1950 Henri Lauth) Lieder: Schubert (all song cycles) & 2 Piano Sonatas Organ Repertoire: Bach, Buxtehude, Sweelinck, Mozart, Liszt, Brahms, Karg-Elert, Schoenberg, Messiaen (early works) Travels in Music: Bruges, Brussels, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Venice, Vienna, London, Munich & Paris.

Important Performances of James Douglas' Music: A Vision: Midnight Mass (Christmas Eve) Notre Dame de Paris (Michael Bonaventure); Lauda Sion: Sion, Switzerland (Andrew Armstrong); A Vision (St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh; Eglise St. Roch, Paris; Westminster Abbey, London and St. Thomas' Church, 5th Avenue, NY); De Profundis (BBC Radio 3, Michael Bonaventure).

Recordings

"Visions of Glory" (Cassette and Compact Disc) by James Douglas and David Adam, 12 Prayers in the Celtic Tradition, (Cassette: Catalogue Number: ABZ 103C (1989), CD: Catalogue Number: ABZ 121CD (2001), Caritas Records)

"Cry of the Deer" (Cassette and Compact Disc), featuring meditations led by David Adam, (Cassette: Catalogue Number: CCBZ 230C (1990), CD: Catalogue Number: CCBZ 271CD (2001), Caritas Records)

"A Vision" by James Douglas (Compact Disc) (Catalogue Number: ABZ 110 CD (2000), Caritas Records).

"Cloud of Unknowing" by James Douglas(Compact Disc) (Catalogue Number: ABZ 130 CD (2001), Caritas Records

"Caritas Live Series," No. 1-7 by James Douglas(7 separate Compact Discs: 'Vigil of the Ascension,' 'Into the Forest,' 'Music for the Fallen,' 'Doors of Perception,' 'Cranes Dancing,' 'Threnody for Lost Time' and 'The Feast of his Joy.' (2001-2002)) (Catalogue Numbers: ABZ 141CD-ABZ 147CD, Caritas Records).

"Summertime Song," Caritas Live No. 8 by James Douglas(Compact Disc) (Catalogue Number: ABZ 148CD (2004), Caritas Records).

"The City Never Sleeps," Caritas Live No. 9 by James Douglas(Compact Disc)(Catalogue Number: ABZ 150CD (2005), Caritas Records).

"Nocturnal," Caritas Live No. 10 by James Douglas(Compact Disc), (Catalogue Number: ABZ 149CD (2006), Caritas Records

"Peace of the Highlands" Caritas Live No. 11 by James Douglas (Compact Disc) (Catalogue Number: ABZ151CD (2009), Caritas Records). This CD features music exclusively taken from The Highlands and Islands Sequence by James Douglas, recorded in Ullapool in 2006-7) (Catalogue Number: ABZ151CD, Caritas Live). Includes performances by Soloists: Pam Brown, Alistair Neally, George Gwilt, Richard Mein, James Douglas and Katharine Douglas.

"Land of the Lochans" Caritas Live No. 12 by James Douglas (Compact Disc) (Catalogue Number: ABZ152CD, Caritas Records). This CD was released in November 2011 and is a digitally recorded Album of Flute and Piano, performed by James Douglas and Flautist George Gwilt. This 12th CD features Live digital performances by George Gwilt (Flute) and James Douglas (Piano / Keyboard) all recorded Live at The Macphail Theatre, Ullapool (recordings by Steve Douglas and Kenny Ross). This CD includes 9 beautiful tracks, which show off the versatility of the Flute and were all inspired by various journeys undertaken in Scotland and Europe by the Composer. If you are looking for music which is positive, full of hope, strong in melody; then why not try the music of James Douglas in 'The Highlands and Islands Sequence,' 'The Christ Church Sequence' or in 'The Glorious Sequence.' You can travel the world with the music of James Douglas why not try the music and listen to it?

Current projects

Include: 'A Musical Journey (a DVD with Helen Douglas, released in 2011) and other multimedia projects (2012-)

Publishers

Record Company

Selected works

Buy CDs online: http://www.caritas-music.co.uk/order_system/cd_results.html Buy Sheet Music online: http://www.caritas-music.co.uk/order_system/sheet_music_results.html

External links

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