 Dirksen was succeeded by Douglas Major as Cathedral Organist and Choirmaster in 1988 and retired as Precentor in 1991.Dirksen was also a composer of almost 300 works, mostly for organ and/or choir or theater.His music has been regularly featured on "Christmas at Washington National Cathedral", televised nationally on Christmas Day, as well as the September 11 Memorial Service held at the Washington National Cathedral on September 14, 2001, which was attended by all living presidents but one and viewed on television by much of the world.