John Scott (organist)
A master organist who shaped the sound of two of the world's great cathedral choirs, bridging the Atlantic with musical precision.
1956–2015 (age 59)·English organist and choirmaster·Birthday: June 18·Baby Boomers
Biography
John Scott's life was defined by the majestic spaces of cathedrals and the voices that filled them. Born in 1956, he rose from a chorister at Wakefield Cathedral to become the organist and director of music at London's St. Paul's Cathedral, a post he held for fourteen years. There, his rigorous standards and clear musical vision propelled the choir to new heights, captured on numerous recordings. In a bold mid-career move, he crossed the ocean to lead the historic choir at Saint Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in New York, injecting the English choral tradition into the heart of Manhattan until his sudden death in 2015. More than an administrator, Scott remained a sought-after concert organist, his playing noted for its clarity and intellectual depth, leaving a legacy on two continents.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
John was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2015Died at 59
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Served as Organist and Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral in London from 1990 to 2004.
- Led the Choir of Men and Boys at Saint Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City, from 2004 until his death.
- Maintained an international career as a concert and recording organist while directing major church music programs.
Did You Know?
He began his musical life as a chorister at Wakefield Cathedral.
He succeeded Christopher Dearnley at St. Paul's Cathedral.
He died suddenly while on holiday in the UK in 2015.
“The organ is the orchestra of the church, and the choir is its soul.”
