Dr Stanley Vann retired in 1985 having been Organist and Master of the Music at Peterborough Cathedral for many years. He was previously organist of Chelmsford Cathedral, and before that worked in Leicester where he assisted Sir Henry Wood as chorus master of the Philharmonic choir.

A choir trainer of renown, a recording of plainsong sung by the Peterborough choir was recently included in a special broadcast of historic recordings from the BBC Choral Evensong archive.

The Lichfield Service is his 14th setting of the evening Canticles and most of his compositions for cathedrals have been published, including a recent Missa Sancti Pauli commissioned by John Scott.