Richard Wayne Dirksen

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Richard Wayne Dirksen conducting at the Washington National Cathedral

Richard Wayne Dirksen (1921 - July 26, 2003) served as Organist and Choirmaster of the Washington National Cathedral from 1977 to 1988. Previously he was Assistant Organist and Choirmaster from 1942 to 1964. In 1968, he was the first lay person in the Anglican Communion to be named a Precentor, meaning he had administrative oversight of all worship services, a position he held through 1991.

Dirksen was born in Freeport, Illinois, the eldest son of Richard Watson Dirksen and Maude Logemann. In high school, he played the bassoon. He subsequently studied organ at Baltimore's Peabody Conservatory under Virgil Fox, graduating magna cum laude in June, 1942.^[1]

Dirksen was also a composer of almost 300 works, mostly for organ and/or choir or theater. His music has been regularly featured on Christmas at Washington National Cathedral, televised nationally on Christmas Day, as well as the September 11th Memorial Service held at the Washington National Cathedral on September 14, 2001, which was attended by all living presidents but one and viewed on television by much of the world.

His most well-known compositions include:

Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us
God is our hope
O be joyful in the Lord
Vineyard Haven (the hymn tune for "Rejoice ye pure in heart")
Chanticleer
A Child My Choice
Welcome All Wonders

He married Joan Milton Shaw in 1942 and had four children: Richard, Geoffrey, Laura, and Mark.

Dirksen was awarded an honorary doctor of fine arts degree in 1980 by George Washington University and an honorary doctor of music degree by Marymount College in 1986.

He was succeeded by Douglas Major as Cathedral Organist and Choirmaster in 1988.

In 2006, the Cathedral Choral Society at Washington National Cathedral announced the establishment of an endowment fund in his memory to commission new Christmas choral music.