David Bedford RIP

[A Lark Ascending]

Might be known to modern classical buffs.

Will certainly be fondly remembered as a distinctive orchestrator on 70s rock records and as a member of Kevin Ayers' Whole World.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/oct/04/david-bedford?newsfeed=true

Never twigged he was Steuart Bedford's brother (the latter orchestrated some of Britten's works). As the obituary makes clear, there was a strong Aldeburgh connection.

RIP.

[GA Russell]

RIP. I remember the name. I had a couple of Kevin Ayers imports. Maybe there's something on spotify that I can find.

[clifford_thornton]

Oh wow. Sad news.

[Chuck Nessa]

G'bye David.

[Niko]

RIP

one of his compositions was in a saxophone practice book i used to have, and of course i remember him from kevin ayers albums...

Edited October 4, 2011 by Niko

[B. Clugston]

RIP. I enjoyed his work with Kevin Ayers and Lol Coxhill. Looks like he had a fascinating musical life.

[A Lark Ascending]

Seemed like an inclusive sort of chap. Despite working in the rarefied world of contemporary classical he did his Kevin and Lol things, played and arranged for Mike Oldfield a fair bit and did lots of work with amateurs and kids.

[sidewinder]

Sad news. There's a good video snippet of him on one of the OGWT videos with Kevin Ayres and Lol Coxhill from around 1972.

[A Lark Ascending]

Nice Telegraph obituary:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/8807037/David-Bedford.html

He recalled a row with the tax man, who insisted that Bedford’s purchase of CDs did not qualify as a business expense on the grounds that Bedford would listen to them for pleasure. Bedford countered that listening to more music was the last thing he would do to relax. “At the end of a working day I just want to watch films on telly or whatever, to give my brain a break, so I joked to the taxman: 'Surely you don’t read books about income tax for pleasure?’ I thought I’d scored a point, but the poor chap looked quite reproachful. 'Oh yes I do,’ he said.”

Just noticed Bedford was the arranger on the spine-tingling Grimethorpe Coliery Band backed Roy Harper track 'When an Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease' - could hardly choose a more perfect song to see him off.

Another nice comment on the NMC website, quoted from 1998:

"Someone who can combine the shimmering sounds of Sixties texture music with greater consonance than most would dare deserves his place in the sun."

BBC Music Magazine, 1998

Just listening to this:

Fabulous disc. 4 completely contrasting pieces, all tonal and accessible. The final 34 minute 'Twelve Hours of Sunset' (references the Roy Harper song in places) is a gorgeous bit of choral space music. Would fit into 2001; though it also brings to mind the end of 'The Planets' and some of Britten's more ethereal choral music.

I've had the disc for a while - it took this sad event for me to get it out and really listen to it.

How can you not warm to a record that includes 'The Crouch End Festival Chorus'

Edited October 5, 2011 by A Lark Ascending