Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Country

:

United Kingdom

Birth

:

August 4, 1937 in London, England

Death

:

October 1, 2011

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Choral

 

 

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

 

Orchestral

 

David Bedford was a British composer who was born on August 4, 1937, in London, England. He was the son of the composer and conductor, Herbert Bedford, and the pianist, Lesley Bedford. David grew up in a musical family and began playing the piano at a young age. He attended the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied composition with Lennox Berkeley and piano with Harold Craxton. Bedford's early works were influenced by the avant-garde music of the 1960s, particularly the works of John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen. He was also interested in the music of the Beatles and other popular music of the time. In 1967, he co-founded the progressive rock band, Kevin Ayers and the Whole World, and played keyboards and guitar in the band. Bedford's first major composition was "Two Poems for Chorus and Orchestra," which was premiered in 1964 by the London Symphony Orchestra. The piece was well-received and established Bedford as a promising young composer. He went on to write a number of orchestral works, including "Music for Albion Moonlight," which was commissioned by the BBC in 1968. In the 1970s, Bedford began to incorporate elements of rock music into his compositions. He wrote a number of works for rock bands and orchestras, including "Star's End," which was commissioned by Mike Oldfield and premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in 1974. He also wrote a number of film scores, including "Riddle of the Sands" and "North Sea Hijack." One of Bedford's most famous works is "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," which was commissioned by the BBC in 1975. The piece is based on the poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and features a narrator, choir, and orchestra. The work was well-received and has been performed numerous times since its premiere. In the 1980s, Bedford continued to write orchestral works, including "Seascapes," which was commissioned by the BBC in 1983. He also wrote a number of works for chamber ensembles, including "Variations on a Rhythm of Mike Oldfield," which was premiered by the London Sinfonietta in 1980. Bedford's later works were influenced by his interest in world music. He wrote a number of works for gamelan ensembles, including "Gamelan Orchestra," which was premiered in 1984. He also wrote a number of works for Japanese instruments, including "Shakuhachi Concerto," which was premiered in 1996. David Bedford died on October 1, 2011, at the age of 74. He was a prolific composer who wrote in a variety of styles and genres. His works have been performed by orchestras and ensembles around the world and continue to be admired for their originality and creativity.

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