Introducing David Bedford

David Vickerman Bedford has created a perfect crossover world between mid to late -twentieth century avant-garde and the prevailing rock music of the 1960s and 70s. His music often balanced complexity with a minimalistic simplicity. Bedford experimented with novel musical forms, improvisation, extended instrumental and vocal techniques, graphic scores and multi-media. Yet, he never lost sight of music’s power to entertain from both the listener’s and the performer’s perspective. He once wrote that ‘music is getting excited about sounds.’  David Bedford taught in several state schools and used this opportunity to compose music that met the needs of younger players and even those that did not have any academic musical training and score reading skills. In 2020 his music seems to have slipped off the radar. Yet, several of his art music and rock inspired works have become legendary, especially amongst his many devotees.

Brief Biography of David Bedford

• Born at 41 Litchfield Way, Finchley, London on 4 August 1937
• Educated at Lancing College Sussex and studied music with Christopher Headington and John Alston.
• As a conscientious objector he worked as a hospital porter at Guy’s Hospital in lieu of National Service.
• Studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London with Lennox Berkeley and then with Luigi Nono in Venice during 1961.
• First major work composed Piece for Mo in 1963.
• Worked as a music teacher at several London schools between 1968 and 1980
• Appointed Composer in Residence at Queen’s College London between 1969-81
• Premiere of The Tentacles of the Dark Nebula (1969) with Peter Pears as the soloist.
• Provided ‘orchestration for Ayer’s album Joy of a Toy (1969)
• Joined the band The Whole World in 1970. The group include Kevin Ayers, Mike Oldfield and Lol Coxhill.
• Settings of Kenneth Patchen’s poem Music for Albion Moonlight issued in the Argo Label in 1970
•  ‘Nurses Song with Elephants’ album released in 1972 on John Peel’s Dandelion Label.
• Completed score of Star’s End in 1974 a major commission by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
• Orchestrated Mike Oldfield’s iconic Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge (1974)
• Sun Paints Rainbows on the Vast Waves in 1982 commissioned by the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.
• Star Clusters, Nebulae and Places in Devon / The Song of the White Horse released on Oldfield’s record label in 1983
• Appointed Composer in Association with the English Sinfonia in 1996.
• Appointed Chairman of the Performing Rights Society in 2002.
• David Bedford died in Southmead Hospital, Bristol on 1 October 2011.

Bibliography

At present, no definitive biography of David Bedford or analysis of this music has been published. The most comprehensive study to date is an eleven-page essay by Carolyn Stokoe in British Music Now: A Guide to the Work of Younger Composers. This volume was edited by Lewis Foreman and published as far back as 1975.  Another important source is an autobiographical piece ‘She Had to Go to the Orthodontist, Mr Bedford’ published in the Composer journal (No.73) in 1981. This is a consideration of his operas for children.

David Bedford’s family maintain a good webpage and also a Facebook page, which is periodically updated.  Other sources are the usual dictionary entries, sadly the obituaries, concert and CD reviews and the occasional article in the musical press.

David Bedford Trivia

His grandmother was Liza Lehmann (1862-1918), an operatic singer and composer of many songs and stage works. Bedford’s brother Steuart is a highly respected opera conductor and pianist. His mother, Lesley Duff, was a singer with the English Opera Group during the late 1940s working with Benjamin Britten. His grandfather Herbert Bedford (1867-1945) was a composer, artist and author.

In 1982 David Bedford made the ‘orchestral’ arrangements for Madness’s iconic song ‘Our House’.

The Independent newspaper in Bedford’s obituary noted that he was ‘the only musician to have featured on both the BBC Proms and [John Peel’s] The Old Grey Whistle Test, he never rested on his laurels.’

Five Key Works

I have chosen five works that are available on CD, You Tube and/or download. Much of David Bedford’s massive catalogue remains hidden from listeners. I expect the Bedford’s estate has many recordings in their archives and ae slowly putting them online. I can only suggest sooner than later!  Of the five pieces, three are ‘classical’ in a very radical way and two relate more to progressive rock music. Some of these pieces can be found David Bedford’s SoundCloud page.

• The Sun Paints Rainbows on the Vast Waves for wind band (1984)
• Symphony No.1 (1984)
• Twelve Hours of Sunset for mixed choir and orchestra (1974)
• Stars Clusters Nebulæ & Places in Devon for mixed double chorus and brass (1971)
• The Tentacles of the Dark Nebula for tenor, three violins, two viola and double bass (1969)

And finally, if you have only time to hear one work:

I would recommend the magisterial Star’s End. This massive two-part work was written in 1974 in partnership with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It is a ‘significant breakthrough in fusing rock and classical techniques.’ Lasting for some 45 minute the piece was specifically designed to fit on two sides of a contemporary vinyl album.  The lead and bass guitars are played by Mike Oldfield and the percussion by Chris Cutler with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vernon Handley.

This is a work that in my opinion has stood the test of time. True it is not everybody’s idea of classical music: it will not sit well with many listeners’ copies of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Vaughan Williams’s Lark Ascending. But Star’s End is a masterpiece from nearly half a century ago. It is an absorbing work, occasionally moving and always interesting.

Star’s End is available on CD, it was originally released on the early Virgin Label, V2020 in 1974. The complete work has been uploaded to YouTube.