Christopher Donald Jackson (27 July 1948 – 25 September 2015) was a Canadian

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

harpsichordist A harpsichordist is a person who plays the harpsichord. Harpsichordists may play as soloists, as accompanists, as chamber musicians, or as members of an orchestra, or some combination of these roles. Solo harpsichordists may play unaccompanied son ...

and

choral A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

conductor. He is best known as a specialist in the performance of Renaissance music, and as the co-founder and long time conductor of the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal.

Early life and education

Jackson was born in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...

. He graduated from the

École de musique Vincent-d'Indy The école de musique Vincent-d'Indy is a subsidized private music college situated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in the Outremont district, that specializes in music education. Programs L'école Vincent-d'Indy offers programs that result in stu ...

and the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal.

Career

As a young man, Jackson worked as an organ builder. He began teaching at

Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...

in 1973. Jackson co-founded both the Société des Concerts d'orgue de Montréal and the

Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal The Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal is a professional early music vocal ensemble based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History The group was co-founded in 1974 by the organ and harpsichord players Christopher Jackson, Réjean Poirier and ...

in 1974. He became the artistic director of the latter institutions in 1988. He conducted the ensemble in several recordings, including the 1998 ''

Heavenly Spheres ''Heavenly Spheres'' (L'Harmonie des Sphères) is an a cappella choral album by the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal under the direction of Christopher Jackson. Recorded in 1998, it features songs from the late 15th to early 16th centu ...

'', which was awarded a

Félix Award The Félix Award (french: Trophée Félix or Prix Félix) is an award, given by the ''Association du disque, de l'industrie du spectacle québécois'' (ADISQ) on an annual basis to artists working in the music and humor industry in the Canadian p ...

from the

ADISQ ADISQ (french: Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la video; eng, Québec Association for the Recording, Concert and Video Industries, link=yes) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the indepen ...

and the

Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Vocal or Choral Performance The Juno Award for "Classical Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1994, as recognition each year for the best vocal classical music album in Canada. Winners Best Classical Album (Vocal or Choral Performance) (1994 - 2002) *1994 - Claudette L ...

in 2000. Jackson taught at the music faculties of

and

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

. He was Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Concordia University from 1994 to 2005. He also held the post of organist and choirmaster at a variety of churches in Montreal, including Eglise Tres-Saint-Nom de Jesus, and St. George's Anglican Church. Jackson received an honorary doctorate from the University of Sudbury in 1999 and was inducted as a member of the Royal Society of Canada in 2009. In 2011 Jackson conducted the Studio de music ancienne for the recording of an album, ''Musica Vaticana''. Jackson died of lung cancer on September 25, 2015 in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, aged 67.

Selected discography

* Heinrich Schütz : ''Christmas Story''. CD Fonovox VOX7847-2 1981 * H. I. F. Biber : ''Vespers.'' CD REM311207 1993 *

Giacomo Carissimi (Gian) Giacomo Carissimi (; baptized 18 April 160512 January 1674) was an Italian composer and music teacher. He is one of the most celebrated masters of the early Baroque or, more accurately, the Roman School of music. Carissimi established the ...

: Jonas, Jephté. Marc-Antoine Charpentier : ''le Reniement de Saint Pierre'' H.424. CD Analekta 1994 *

André Campra André Campra (; baptized 4 December 1660 – 29 June 1744) was a French composer and conductor of the Baroque era. The leading French opera composer in the period between Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau, Campra wrote several '' tra ...

, Henry Dumont : ''Le Chant de la Jérusalem des terres froides.'' CD K617 1995 (reissue ''Montréal et Indiens Abenakis'' 2001, ''Musique sacrée en Nouvelle-France'' ACD22764 2017) *

Henry Desmarest Henri Desmarets (February 1661 – 7 September 1741) was a French composer of the Baroque music, Baroque period primarily known for his stage works, although he also composed sacred music as well as secular cantatas, songs and instrumenta ...

: 4 ''Motets Lorrains.'' 2 CD K617053 1995 * Palestrina : ''Missa Ut re mi fa sol la.'' CD Analekta *''Heavenly spheres - L’Harmonie des Sphères,'' Mouton, Gombert, Lassus, Morales, Palestrina, Victoria. CD CBC *''Sacred Spaces - Lieux sacrés,'' G. Gabrieli and Monteverdi CBC 2002 *''Puer natus est'' Giovanni Gabrieli Concerto Palatino ACD22311 11/2003 *

Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt (; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli, a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in pa ...

: Stabat Mater ACD22310 03/2004 * Marc-Antoine Charpentier : ''Messe à quatre chœurs'' H.4, 3 ''Psaumes des Ténèbres'', H.228, H.229, H.230'','' Ensemble Stradivaria, Studio de Musique ancienne de Montréal. CD Atma 2005 *''Rise, O my soul'' Bull, William Byrd,

Orlando Gibbons Orlando Gibbons ( bapt. 25 December 1583 – 5 June 1625) was an English composer and keyboard player who was one of the last masters of the English Virginalist School and English Madrigal School. The best known member of a musical famil ...

, William Simmes,

Thomas Tomkins Thomas Tomkins (1572 – 9 June 1656) was a Welsh-born composer of the late Tudor and early Stuart period. In addition to being one of the prominent members of the English Madrigal School, he was a skilled composer of keyboard and consort mus ...

, Ward, ACD22506 03/2007 *''Roma Triumphans'' Luca Marenzio et al. SACD22507 01/2008 *

Orlando di Lasso Orlande de Lassus ( various other names; probably – 14 June 1594) was a composer of the late Renaissance. The chief representative of the mature polyphonic style in the Franco-Flemish school, Lassus stands with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palest ...

: Lagrime di San Pietro ACD22509 09/2010 *''Musica Vaticana'' ACD22508 09/2011 *''Splendore a Venezia'' (compilation) ACD23013 10/2013 *''Terra Tremuit'' : Brumel Missa Et ecce terrae motus ACD22653 03/2014 *Orlando di Lasso : ''Laudate Dominum'' ACD22746 03/2017

References

External links

"Christopher Jackson"
at ''AllMusic'' juno {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Christopher 1948 births 2015 deaths Canadian conductors (music) Male conductors (music) Canadian harpsichordists Male classical organists Concordia University faculty Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal alumni École de musique Vincent-d'Indy alumni McGill University faculty Musicians from Halifax, Nova Scotia Musicians from Montreal Deaths from lung cancer Deaths from cancer in Quebec Canadian classical organists