The organist and composer Francis Jackson, who has died aged 104, began his career as a chorister under the distinguished organist of York Minster Edward Bairstow. Jackson was still active as both performer and composer 90 years later, having been organist himself at the minster for three and a half decades (1946–82). A virtuoso executant and prolific composer, he bestrode the world of English church music as a powerful if traditional force throughout the second half of the 20th century.
His large output of Anglican sacred music included the frequently used Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G (“Me in G” as he liked to refer to the setting), hymn-tunes such as East Acklam, sung to the words of For the Fruits of His Creation at harvest time, and anthems. The six organ sonatas are the most substantial of his works in that genre, though there were many other pieces that both reflected his heritage of Bairstow, Herbert Howells and Edward Elgar, as well as his love of Ravel and admiration for Paul Hindemith and Max Reger. In addition to the church music he wrote a symphony, an organ concerto, chamber music, songs and a pair of monodramas with narrator. His compositional style was generally a conservative one, more modernistic neoclassical traits held in counterpoise with Romantic tendencies.
