All Saints' Episcopal Church

All Saints' Day School

Holy Child Filipino Ministries

Iglesia Episcopál deTodos los Santos

4201 West Washington Avenue - Las Vegas, NV 89107

(between Decatur and Valley View)

702 878-2373 - Fax: 702 878-1829 - Email the Parish Office

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BIOGRAPHY

DOUGLAS BRUCE was born in Perth, Scotland, and educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh (where the former British Prime Minster, Tony Blair, was also a pupil). In 1965 he moved to London, becoming assistant organist at St. Columba’s Church of Scotland, Pont Street. While pursuing a career in accountancy he took up organ studies with Noel Rawsthorne at Liverpool Cathedral, and obtained the ARCO, ARCM (magna cum laude) and LRAM diplomas in organ performance.

In 1974 he became Deputy Chief Accountant at the Bank for International Settlements, Basel, and has lived subsequently in Switzerland. He has continued his organ studies under Felix Pachlatko (Basel Cathedral), and in 2006 participated in master classes under Kevin Bowyer, Ludger Lohmann and Dame Gillian Weir.

Following early retirement in 2001 from the world of banking, Douglas has devoted his time fully to organ-playing, becoming a much-travelled recitalist. In this capacity he has visited 20 states of the USA, playing to wide (sometimes wild!) acclaim in the cathedrals of Atlanta, Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles (twice), Memphis, Orlando, Pittsburgh, San Francisco (twice) and Washington National Cathedral, as well as in major churches in many parts of the country, including St. Thomas’, New York and Trinity Church, Reno (several times). His travels in Canada and Europe have taken him to cathedrals in Berne (broadcast recital), Bordeaux, Bourges, Chester, Dunblane, Edinburgh (both cathedrals), Freiberg (Saxony), Geneva, Gothenburg, Hannover, Kalmar (Sweden) Karlsruhe, Prague, Stockholm, Toronto, Truro and Ulm. In addition he has played at the universities of Harvard and Edinburgh (thee times) and at the Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow. In August 2008 he played a recital at Liverpool Cathedral, on the UK’s largest organ.

Douglas is currently principal organist at the church of St Franz Xaver in Münchenstein (near Basel). In 2007 he was diagnosed in the left hand with focal dystonia, an incurable form of cramp that has afflicted many musicians (including the composer Robert Schumann, and the US pianist Leon Fleisher). Fortunately, as a result of therapy that has brought about an almost complete restitution of the left hand faculty, he has been able to continue to play recitals and enrich the musical experience of listeners in several countries. SDG!   

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Last modified: 11/15/08