York Minster is a cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by a dean and chapter under the Dean of York. The formal title of York Minster is "The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York". The title "minster" is attributed to churches established in the Anglo Saxon period as missionary teaching churches, and serves now as an honorific title. Services in the minster are sometimes regarded as on the High Church or Anglo-Catholic end of the Anglican continuum.

The minster has a very wide Decorated Gothic nave and chapter house, a Perpendicular Gothic choir and east end and Early English north and south transepts. The nave contains the West Window, constructed in 1338, and over the Lady Chapel in the east end is the Great East Window, (finished in 1408), the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. In the north transept is the Five Sisters Window, each lancet being over 16 metres (52 ft) high. The south transept contains a famous rose window.

York (local ⁱ/ˈjɔːk/) is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence. The city offers a wealth of historic attractions, of which York Minster is the most prominent, and a variety of cultural and sporting activities.

The city was founded by the Romans in 71 AD, under the name of Eboracum. It became in turn the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior, and of the kingdoms of Northumbria and Jorvik. In the Middle Ages, York grew as a major wool trading centre and became the capital of the northern ecclesiastical province of the Church of England, a role it has retained.

In the 19th century York became a hub of the railway network and a confectionery manufacturing centre. In recent decades, the economy of York has moved from being dominated by its confectionery and railway-related industries to one that provides services. The University of York and health services have become major employers, whilst tourism has become an important element of the local economy.

John Scott Whiteley (born 1950) is an English organist and composer. He has performed extensively around the world and since 1985 has undertaken an annual tour of the USA. He has performed in most major UK Cathedrals and concert halls, and was Assistant Organist and later Organist and Director of the Girls' choir at York Minster between 1975 to 2010.

In 1976 Whiteley won first prize in the National Organ Competition^{[clarification needed]} of Great Britain. He has researched and written a book about Belgian composer Joseph Jongen, which has been described as "a benchmark against which similar studies should be measured".^{[citation needed]} His numerous recordings include Great Romantic Organ Music, The Dupré Legacy and The complete organ works of Joseph Jongen.

Whiteley combines his busy schedule with recording and touring and has composed anthems and organ works. He was Professor of Organ at Hull University from 1978 to 2003.

In 2003 he began recording the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach on historical organs (many associated with Bach) for BBC television and Associated-Rediffusion television productions. The project is called 21st century Bach, and began showing in sections on BBC Two and BBC Four. Two DVD volumes (about a quarter of the total) have been released, and series 3 is completed and awaiting transmission. Organs used include the restored Zacharias Hildebrandt instrument of St Wenzels church in Naumburg, and St Boniface's Church (the "Bachkirche") in Arnstadt. The series employs unusual filming techniques, including the use of miniature cameras and mirrors inside the organs' mechanisms, and a floating camera filming from unusual viewpoints. The organist is shown quietly walking to the instrument in the empty church, and quietly walking out again when he has finished. The titles were designed by Damien Hirst and the recording engineer is John Warburton.