Richard Langdon

Richard Langdon (1729 – 8 September 1803) was a British organist, mainly at Exeter Cathedral, where he spent his early years, and later at Bristol Cathedral and Armagh Cathedral. He also composed church music.

He was born in Exeter in 1729, son of Charles Langdon and a grandson of Tobias Langdon (1683–1712), Vicar choral of Exeter Cathedral. In the summer of 1738, Richard became a chorister at Exeter Cathedral and retained this until spring 1748; by then he had become a secondary. John Hicks was ordered to teach Richard the organ on 1 December 1744.

On 16 June 1753, he was appointed as Vicar choral of Exeter Cathedral following the death of former organist John Silvester; soon after, on 23 June, was also appointed the cathedral's organist. Langdon's early career was marked without complaints over him or his competence and he taught writing and arithmetic to the choristers.

From 1757 to 1769, large sums of money were paid to Richard for subscriptions to volumes of William Boyce's compositions. The only criticism of Langdon by the cathedral was on 3 March 1759 due to his "frequent" absence and disobedience of the sub-chanter. Soon after on 7 April 1759, he was given permission for five weeks of absence. It is possible that the amount of absence from Langdon was related to his time studying at Oxford University.

He graduated BMus at Exeter College, Oxford on 13 July 1761. Due to failing health, Hicks resigned his position of master of the choristers and Langdon was appointed the position on 8 May 1762 This marked the first time since 1608 (excepting a brief period in 1661) that the position master of the choristers and organist were held by the same person. On 28 August 1770 he married Susanna Evans. Langdon resigned his position and was replaced by Jackson of Exeter, who said this on the matter "he resigned, for a consideration, in my favour".

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