Christopher Hugh Dearnley was born on February 11, 1930 in Wolverhampton, England. He studied at Cranleigh School and served as an organ scholar at Worcester College, Oxford from 1948 to 1952. Dearnley began his career as assistant organist at Salisbury Cathedral in 1954, becoming the full organist in 1957. During this period, he released several albums including Christmas Carols From Salisbury Cathedral (1964) and Organ Music From Salisbury Cathedral (1966). In 1968, Dearnley moved to St Paul's Cathedral, where he served until 1990. Notable releases from this era include The Organ Of St. Paul's Cathedral (1977) and Ceremonial Music For Organ (1980). He was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 1990. After retiring, he migrated to Australia with his wife Bridget in 1990, where he continued to work as a director of music at various cathedrals until his death on December 15, 2000.
