Stanley Vann

William Stanley Vann Hon FTCL FRCO ARCM (15 February 1910 – 27 March 2010) was an English composer, organist, choral conductor, and choir trainer, primarily in the Anglican cathedral tradition. Early life Born in Leicester, he started to learn the piano around the age of six. He turned to the organ in 1927, achieving his ARCM, ARCO and FRCO diplomas by 1930. The start of a musical career 1931 saw his appointment as Assistant Organist at Leicester Cathedral, whilst still a pupil under the organist George Charles Gray. This was followed by his becoming the Organist at Gainsborough Parish Church in 1933, and then a move to Holy Trinity Church, Leamington Spa to be Organist in 1939. Whilst in Leamington he founded the Royal Leamington Spa Bach Choir and (in 1940) the Warwickshire Symphony Orchestra. https://wso.org.uk/ His time at Leamington was interrupted between 1942 and 1946 by service in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War. After his initial service, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 17 December 1943, later rising to the rank of captain. In 1949 he was appointed as Organist of Chelmsford Cathedral and Professor of Harmony and Counterpoint at Trinity College