ISM MUSIC JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2021 | NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS We welcome your brief news (max. 150 words) and high-res images. Please email mj@ism.org The next deadline for copy is 28 July for the September/October 2021 issue
Steuart Bedford, FISM
As a student at Oxford University Bedford put on some performances of Britten’s Albert Herring in the Playhouse, and not long after graduating he launched his professional career with John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 1967. He conducted his own edition of Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) and followed that with the first modern British performances of Donizetti’s Belisario, also at the RAM.
In 1971 Bedford was appointed musical director of the English Opera Group, 31/07/1939–15/02/2021 which grew into the larger English Music Theatre while he was at the ISM member since 1964 helm. He developed a distinguished The conductor Steuart Bedford was international career, worked regularly best known for his association with at Glyndebourne, and from 1993 had the works of Benjamin Britten, a strong relationship with Garsington working closely with the composer at Opera, where he conducted a series Aldeburgh and acknowledged as his of productions of Mozart’s operas. He ‘heir apparent’. Bedford assisted on the was an artistic director of Aldeburgh 1966 Decca recording of A Midsummer Festival from 1974 to 1998, and as Night’s Dream, took over rehearsals recently as 2013 conducted Tim for the filming of the TV opera Owen Albery’s production of Peter Grimes Wingrave while Britten recovered from on Aldeburgh beach. He returned to an operation in 1970 and conducted Garsington to conduct Death in Venice the world premiere of Death in Venice in 2015, and his last professional in 1973 at the Aldeburgh Festival and engagement before retiring due to at Covent Garden, the first European the effects of Parkinson’s Disease was performances of Paul Bunyan, and the Albert Herring at the Grange Festival premiere of the scena Phaedra with in 2017. Dame Janet Baker in 1976. Bedford’s first marriage to the soprano Bedford was born into a musical family; Norma Burrowes ended in divorce; he was the grandson of the singer Liza he is survived by two daughters, Lehmann and composer and inventor Charmian, a singer, and Joanna, Herbert Bedford and his mother was education manager of Opera North, the singer Lesley Duff, a member of from his second marriage to Celia Britten’s English Opera Group. His elder Harding, the company manager of brother David was a distinguished EMT, who died in April 2020. composer and his younger brother He was held in very high regard by Peter was a professional singer; colleagues in the profession; his both predeceased him. agents Harrison Parrott spoke for
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many when they paid tribute to him on his death, stating: ‘Steuart was an exceptional musician and a wonderful human being whom we are all grateful to have known and worked with for so many years. His vast knowledge and always unselfish devotion to music and his fellow musicians will be an immense loss to the musical world.’
Malcolm Goldring, FISM
12/07/1949–12/05/2021 ISM member since 2005 Malcolm Goldring studied the oboe at the Royal College of Music before continuing postgraduate education studies at the Universities of Durham and Nottingham. In a rich and varied career including teaching and lecturing in schools and colleges, he was Music Inspector for the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, and Assistant Principal at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Goldring was a regular choral adjudicator at home and abroad. In 1975 he founded the Midland Festival Chorus (MFC) which began life as a choral workshop in Leicestershire and became a large chorus of over 200 singers drawn from all over the country and from abroad. Its annual concerts moved from the De Montfort
