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

31/07/1939–15/02/2021 ISM member since 1964

The conductor Steuart Bedford was best known for his association with the works of Benjamin Britten, working closely with the composer at Aldeburgh and acknowledged as his ‘heir apparent’. Bedford assisted on the 1966 Decca recording of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, took over rehearsals for the filming of the TV opera Owen Wingrave while Britten recovered from an operation in 1970 and conducted the world premiere of Death in Venice in 1973 at the Aldeburgh Festival and at Covent Garden, the first European performances of Paul Bunyan, and the premiere of the scena Phaedra with Dame Janet Baker in 1976. Bedford was born into a musical family; he was the grandson of the singer Liza Lehmann and composer and inventor Herbert Bedford and his mother was the singer Lesley Duff, a member of Britten’s English Opera Group. His elder brother David was a distinguished composer and his younger brother Peter was a professional singer; both predeceased him. 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, which grew into the larger English Music Theatre while he was at the helm. He developed a distinguished international career, worked regularly at Glyndebourne, and from 1993 had a strong relationship with Garsington Opera, where he conducted a series of productions of Mozart’s operas. He was an artistic director of Aldeburgh Festival from 1974 to 1998, and as recently as 2013 conducted Tim Albery’s production of Peter Grimes on Aldeburgh beach. He returned to Garsington to conduct Death in Venice in 2015, and his last professional engagement before retiring due to the effects of Parkinson’s Disease was Albert Herring at the Grange Festival in 2017.

Bedford’s first marriage to the soprano Norma Burrowes ended in divorce; he is survived by two daughters, Charmian, a singer, and Joanna, education manager of Opera North, from his second marriage to Celia Harding, the company manager of EMT, who died in April 2020. He was held in very high regard by colleagues in the profession; his agents Harrison Parrott spoke for 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

Hall in Leicester to Warwick Arts Centre and eventually to Worcester Cathedral. Goldring conducted most of the major British orchestras in MFC’s performances. He was also conductor of the Sitwell Singers in Derby. In 1990 Goldring was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship and as a result toured the United States and Canada studying the development of youth and children’s choirs. He was the MD of the former British Federation of Young Choirs and then Artistic Director of Sing UK, which created exceptional opportunities for young people from any background to learn and perform the major works of the choral repertoire alongside professional orchestras and artists. Through his experience of working with the European Choral Association – Europa Cantat – at international singing events, Goldring was determined to bring a similar festival to the UK, and in 2013 Sing UK held the UK’s first internationally collaborative choral festival, the Worcester International Festival for Young Singers. Anne Renshaw, Goldring’s friend and colleague at SingUK, writes: ‘Malcolm was an innately gifted conductor, educator, and communicator. Driven by a dedication to access and opportunity in music education, he inspired countless people of all ages and backgrounds over a lifetime career. Uncompromising on high standards, he drew the very best out of every participant. His belief in people, his musical integrity and personal humility ensured the quality of experience for all those with whom he worked, and he placed that experience over and above any personal aspirations he may have had. As a result he leaves a wonderful legacy in the generations of people, young and not so young, whose lives he touched and whose discovery of the joys that music can bring came at his hands.’

Take Ten new jazz and blues inspired piano pieces

Take Ten is a fresh and exciting collection of jazz and blues inspired pieces for piano just published by June Armstrong.

The pieces in Take Ten are all written in five finger position and can be played at elementary to early intermediate level. They can also be used as a vehicle for early exploration in improvisation. In June Armstrong’s YouTube playlist ‘Improvising with Take Ten’ she applies one simple idea to demonstrate improvising with each piece. June Armstrong has published 19 volumes of educational piano music, ranging from Beginner level to Diploma level. She specialises in writing atmospheric music which can be accessed at an early age such as the popular Alphabet, Toy Box, Safari and Paint Box books. Her music has been selected by all major examination boards. All her music is available to view, listen and purchase at junearmstrong.com

Summer music on a Greek island

Vasiliki Dimakopoulou is thrilled to introduce you to Aegean Music Courses, a music summer program that will take place on Spetses island, Greece from 8 – 16 August 2021. Aegean Music Courses are music courses designed for both undergraduate and graduate students who wish to expand their musical abilities and skills under the guidance of instructors with extensive professional experience and expertise. The seminar will be held at the Anargyrios and Korgialenios School of Spetses (AKSS) established in 1923 and accredited by the Greek Ministry of Education. A group of professional musicians from various countries will be lecturing on the courses. The cost for students who register before June 30th is 1300€/1130£/1560$. The cost for those who register on 1 July or later will be 1560€/1360£/1890$. For ISM members, there will be a 5% discount.

Registration fees are included in the aforesaid prices and are not refundable. Flight cost will be covered by the participants. aegeanmusiccourses.com

Living with schizophrenia Li L v

Tara Leiper and her husband Cameron T Tar have recently published a book h ha entitled Is this real? about living with en schizophrenia. Tara, from the north east sch of Scotland, runs a teaching studio, of conducts, examines and performs. con This book tells of her husband’s illness and how it impacts daily life. It is cowritten, with each author telling their story and including dialogue between the couple. It is useful for anyone working within the mental health sector, carers and educators who may wish to understand this debilitating illness better. One reader said about the book that it is an ‘amazing and enlightening book; a hard and very emotional read and I realise just how little I knew about the condition. I feel that many people could gain so much more understanding from reading your book, both professionals and laypeople like me.’ Is this real? is available from Amazon and most booksellers.

Confessions of a music critic Co C

Confessions of a Music Critic grew out Co of one of the talks Christopher Morleyof regularly gives on the music club circuit, re and draws on his experiences of over an 50 years of writing for the Birmingham 50 Post as well as periodicals.Po Confessions describes Christopher's Anglo-Italian upbringing, moving on to take in the many countries he has visited writing features and reviews, including tours by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle. It also covers school teaching in the Birmingham area, lecturing at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Chris’s conducting experiences and even clients at his ill-starred music shop in Moseley. It takes us through the CBSO years from the Town Hall Birmingham to Symphony Hall and from Louis Fremaux to Mirga Grazˇinyte˙-Tyla. There are some fascinating tales of world-leading soloists and conductors and many stories both funny and poignant. Available from the publishers Brewin Books and on Amazon (£11.95), with all proceeds going to the Gwyn Williams Bursary fund for young string players.

Practising the Piano – Piano Day 2021 Online Events Festival

29 March was Piano Day 2021 (the 88th day of the year!) and we celebrated with a weekend festival featuring a bumper line-up of online events. These included a workshop on practising, technique, sight-reading and interpretation, a performance workshop and a special lectureperformance on Baroque style. If you missed any of these events, you can purchase access to the recordings and resources from the following page: mailchi.mp/informance/pianoday-2021. ISM members are entitled to 30% discounts on all of our online workshops and on subscriptions to our Online Academy (please visit mailchi.mp/informance/ismmember-offers for more information on ISM member discounts).

Marie Miller bows out with a duet recording

Marie Miller is now finishing her career as an opera singer and is recording a CD of duets on 25 September at the National Opera Studio, with Aeron Glyn Preston and Grace Worrall, to celebrate her long career. Miller, a lirico spinto soprano, studied with the Welsh tenor Edgar Evans (principal tenor at the ROH for 30 years) and has performed title and central roles in over 40 operas including the title roles in Verdi’s Aida and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Abigaille in Verdi’s Nabucco and leading soprano roles including Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust and Leonora in Verdi’s Il Trovatore. Her favourite roles include Ciao Ciao San (Butterfly), Violetta (La Traviata), and Lady Billows (in Britten’s Albert Herring). She is well-known throughout the UK, with past performances at the Lyric and Polish theatres in Hammersmith, Wimbledon Theatre, Kenneth More theatre, Kenwood, St Mary Abbott’s theatre, London open air theatres, and the Minack Theatre in Cornwall. Miller’s performances can be viewed at musicteachers.co.uk. Following her eight years’ tuition with Edgar Evans, Miller plans to continue teaching vocal technique to students. Her new CD will be available after 25 September.

Obituaries: We are sorry to announce the deaths of the following members: Mr Steuart Bedford FISM of Aldeburgh Mr Malcolm Goldring FISM of Markfield, Leics Nick Higton MISM of Purley Mrs Christine Hubbard FISM of Rochester Ms Heather Hynan FISM of Weston-super-Mare Ms Maria Noakes MISM of St. Albans Ms Elizabeth Porter FISM of Banstead