Geoffrey Burgon
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Geoffrey Alan Burgon (15 July 1941 – 21 September 2010) was an English composer best known for his television and film scores. Among his most recognisable works are '' Monty Python's Life of Brian'' for film, and '' Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' and '' Brideshead Revisited'' for television, the latter two earning
Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
s in 1979 and 1981 respectively. He also won BAFTAs for his themes for the remake of '' The Forsyte Saga'' and ''
Longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...
''. Burgon also achieved success and a serious following with vocal, orchestral, concert and stage works.


Life and career

Burgon was born in Hambledon, Hampshire, in 1941, son of Alan Wybert Burgon (died 1983) and Ada Vera, née Isom. He had
Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...
ancestry. He taught himself the trumpet in order to join a jazz band at school (Pewley Grammar School,
Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The nam ...
). He entered the
Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music school, music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz al ...
with the intention of becoming a professional trumpet player. However, under the direction of his mentor, composer Peter Wishart, he found that he was more interested in composition. Burgon initially supported himself and his family as a freelance jazz trumpeter. At the age of 30 he sold his instruments, except one, and devoted himself to composition. He lived through a lengthy period of poverty before critical success eventually brought financial reward. The critical success of his ''Requiem'' at the Three Choirs Festival in 1976 sealed his reputation as a composer and led to many commissions from major organisations. Continuing the tradition established by Benjamin Britten, Burgon's fluent and effortless language was particularly well suited to the voice and he had a long-standing collaboration with counter-tenor James Bowman. Burgon also had considerable success writing for film and television and twice received both
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
and
Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
s. His style was essentially conservative, influenced by Benjamin Britten and medieval music rather than modern styles. His music was therefore not favoured by music critics and was sometimes labelled as commercial, but nevertheless it was widely appreciated.''
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'' 24 Sep 2010
Burgon saw his work in film and television as subsidising his passion for, and ability to devote time to what he called his "serious work" for concert. (Perhaps his most noted piece is his ''Nunc dimittis,'' which was composed in 1979 for use in the television series, ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy''.) He married Janice Elizabeth Garwood in 1963 and had a son, Matthew and a daughter, Hannah. They were separated in 1970 and the marriage was dissolved in 1975. In 1992 he married Jacqueline Kroft, a Canadian pianist and singer/songwriter; they had a son, Daniel. He was a keen cricketer and wrote detective novels in his spare time. Burgon died on 21 September 2010 after a short illness.


Career highlights

*1974 – ballet ''The Calm'' for London Contemporary Dance Theatre, first of many dance scores. *1976 – first breakthrough, with ''Requiem'' at the Three Choirs Festival. *1979 –
Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
for score of BBC television series '' Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy''. *1981 – Ivor Novello Award for score of Granada television series '' Brideshead Revisited''. *1997 – premiere of ''City Adventures'', percussion concerto for Evelyn Glennie at BBC Proms. *2001 – wrote ''Heavenly Things'', commissioned by the BBC for baritone Christopher Maltman.


Selected works


Stage

* ''The Golden Fish'', ballet (1964) * ''Joan of Arc'', music drama for 2 sopranos, tenor, baritone, narrator, flute, cello, harp and percussion (1970) * ''The Calm'', ballet (1974) * ''The Fall of Lucifer'', music drama in 2 acts for soloists, chorus and five instruments (1974) * ''Goldberg's Dream (Running Figures)'', ballet (1975) * ''Step at a Time'', ballet (1976) * ''Songs, Lamentations and Praises'', ballet (1979) * ''Orpheus'', music drama (1982) * ''Mass'', ballet for chorus, 4 trombones and percussionist (playing piano) (1984) * ''Macbeth'', incidental music (1986) * ''Murder in the Cathedral'', incidental music (1987) * ''Blood Wedding'', incidental music (1988) * ''The Trial of Prometheus'', ballet (1988) * ''Hard Times'', opera (1991); after the novel by
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
* ''Nicholas Nickleby'', incidental music for the play by
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
(2001)


Orchestral

* Concerto for string orchestra (1963) * ''Gending'' for brass, woodwind, celesta and percussion (1968) * ''Alleluia Nativitas'' (1970) * ''Cantus Alleluia'' (1973) * ''Brideshead Variations'' (1982) * ''Suite from The Chronicles of Narnia'' (1991) * ''Suite from Bleak House'' (1991) * ''Suite from Martin Chuzzlewit'' (1994) * ''Suite from Testament of Youth'' (1991) * ''A Different Dawn'' for celesta, percussion and string orchestra (1999) * ''Industrial Dreams'' (2006)


Brass band

* ''Narnia Suite'' (1998) * ''Paradise Dances'' (1994)


Concertante

* Trumpet Concerto: ''The Turning World'' for trumpet, string orchestra and percussion (1993) * ''City Adventures'', concerto for percussion and orchestra (1996) * Piano Concerto (1997) * ''The Calm'', concerto for violin, trumpet, harp and string orchestra (1974, 2004); arranged for the ballet ''The Calm'' * Concerto for cello and chamber orchestra (2007) * Concerto ''Ghosts of the Dance'' for viola and orchestra (2008) * ''On the Street'' for alto saxophone and wind orchestra (2009)


Chamber music

* ''Fanfares and Variants'' for 2 trumpets and 2 trombones (1969) * ''Lullaby and Aubade'' for trumpet and piano (1972) * ''Gloria'' for piccolo, oboe, clarinet, horn, cello and piano (1973) * Three Nocturnes for harp solo (1974) * ''Four Guitars'' for 4 guitars (1977) * ''Four Horns'' for 4 horns (1977) * Six Studies for cello solo (1980); adapted for viola solo (2000); composed for Julian Lloyd Webber * ''Little Missenden Variation'' for English horn, clarinet, bassoon and horn (1984) * ''Fanfare'' for horns, trumpets, trombones and tuba (1985) * ''The Wanderer'' for clarinet and string quartet (1997–1998) * String Quartet (1999) * ''On The Street'' for brass quartet (1999) * ''Minterne Dances'' for flute, clarinet, string quartet and harp (2009)


Piano

* ''Theme from Brideshead Revisited'' (1982) * ''Aslan's Theme from The Chronicles of Narnia'' (1988) * ''Waiting'', 9 Easy Pieces (1998)


Vocal

* ''Cantata on Mediaeval Latin Texts'' for countertenor, flute, oboe and bassoon (1964) * ''Acquainted with Night'' for countertenor, harp, timpani and string orchestra (1965) * ''Hymn to Venus'' for mezzo-soprano and piano (1966) * ''Five Sonnets or John Donne'' for soprano, mezzo-soprano, flute, oboe, clarinet (bass clarinet), horn, cello, piano and timpani (1967) * ''Songs of Mary'' for mezzo-soprano, viola and piano (1970) * ''At the Round Earth's Imagined Corners'' for soprano and organ, with optional trumpet (1971); words by
John Donne John Donne ( ; 1571 or 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a clergy, cleric in the Church of England. Under Royal Patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's, D ...
* ''Worldës Blissë'' for countertenor and oboe (1971) * ''Threnody'' for tenor, piano and amplified harpsichord (1971) * ''This Endris Night'' for tenor, female chorus, brass ensemble and timpani (1972) * ''This Ean Night'' for 2 countertenors (1972) * ''Dira vi amores terror'' for countertenor solo (1973) * ''Canciones del Alma'' for 2 countertenors (or mezzo-sopranos) and 13 solo strings (1975) * ''Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis'' (1979) * ''Nunc Dimittis'' (1979) * ''The World Again'' for soprano and orchestra (1983) * ''Lunar Beauty'' for medium voice and guitar (or lute) (1986) * ''Title Divine'' for soprano and orchestra (1986) * ''Nearing the Upper Air'' for countertenor, 2 recorders, cello and harpsichord (1988) * ''The Fire of Heaven'' (setting of Traherne's poetry) * ''Title Divine'' (orchestral song cycle) (1987) * ''First Was the World'' for countertenor (or mezzo-soprano), mixed chorus and orchestra (1994); words by Andrew Marvell * ''A Vision'', Song Cycle for tenor and string orchestra (1991); poems by John Clare * ''Almost Peace'', Three Songs to Poems by Emily Dickinson for soprano and chamber ensemble (1995) * ''Merciless Beauty'' for
countertenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a ...
and orchestra (1996); poems by Anonymous,
Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer ( ; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...
,
William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...
and Kit Wright * ''Heavenly Things'' for medium voice and piano (2000) * ''The Road of Love'' for soprano and string quartet (2006)


Choral

* ''Three Elegies'' for mixed chorus (1964) * ''Short Mass'' for mixed chorus (1965) * ''Farewell Earth's Bliss'' for 6 solo voices (1966) * ''Three Carols'' for mixed chorus (1967) * ''Two Hymns to Mary'' for mixed chorus (1967, 1969) * ''Think on Dredful Domesday'' for soprano, mixed chorus and orchestra (1969) * ''And There was War in Heaven'' for boys (or soprano) chorus and organ (1970) * ''Five Alleluias'' for 6 solo voices (1970) * ''Golden Eternity'' for mixed chorus, harp and piano (1970) * ''Mai Hamama'' for 6 solo voices (1970) * ''A Prayer to the Trinity'' for mixed chorus (1972) * ''Sleep'' for 5 solo voices (1973) * ''The Fire of Heaven'' for triple chorus (1973) * ''Noche Oscura'' for 6 solo voices (1974) * ''Dos Coros'' for 12 solo voices (1975) * ''Requiem'' for soprano, countertenor (or mezzo-soprano), tenor, mixed chorus and orchestra (1976) * ''This World From'' for mixed chorus and organ (1979) * ''Veni Spiritus'' for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus and orchestra (1979) * ''Laudate Dominum'' for mixed chorus and organ (1980) * ''Hymn to St. Thomas of Hereford'' for mixed chorus and orchestra (1981); alternate version with organ and optional timpani * ''But Have Been Found Again'' for double mixed chorus (1983) * ''A God and Yet a Man'' for double mixed chorus (1984) * ''Revelations'' for soloists and chorus (1984) * ''The Names of the Hare'' for mixed chorus (1985) * ''The Song of the Creatures'' for mixed chorus and organ (1987) * ''Prayer to St. Richard'' for mixed chorus (1989) * ''Songs of the Creation'' for mixed chorus and organ (1989) * ''Five Love Songs'' for mixed chorus (1992) * ''In a Dark Time'' for mixed chorus (1992) * ''The First World'' for mixed chorus (1992) * ''Christ's Love'' 4 Pieces to Middle English texts for mixed chorus (2000) * ''Magic Words'', 6 Pieces to Inuitt texts for mixed chorus, percussion (played by chorus) (2000) * ''Alleluia Psallat'' for mixed chorus and orchestra (2002) * ''Te Deum'' for mixed chorus and organ (2002) * ''Three Mysteries'' for mixed chorus and chamber orchestra (2003) * ''Of Flowers and Emeralds Sheen'', Anthem for mixed chorus (2004); poem by St. John of the Cross * ''Becket Mass'' for mixed chorus and organ (2005) * ''Come Let Us Pity Death'' for mixed chorus, organ and trumpet (optional) (2005) * ''Death Be Not Proud'' for mixed chorus, organ and trumpet (optional) (2005) * '' Adam lay Ybounden'' for SSAA chorus and organ (2008)


Film scores

* '' Monty Python's Life of Brian'' (1979) * '' The Dogs of War'' (1981) * '' Turtle Diary'' (1985) * ''
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...
'' (1991) * '' Cider with Rosie'' (1998)


Television scores

* ''The Letter'' (1969) * '' The Treasure of Abbot Thomas'' (1974) * ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'': '' Terror of the Zygons'' (1975) * ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'': '' The Seeds of Doom'' (1976) * ''As You Like It'' (1978) * ''Testament of Youth'' (1979) * '' Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'' (1979) * '' Brideshead Revisited'' (1981) * ''How Many Miles to Babylon?'' (1982) * ''Soft Targets'' (1982) * ''Z for Zachariah'' (1984) * ''Bewitched'' (1985) * ''
Bleak House ''Bleak House'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode Serial (literature), serial between 12 March 1852 and 12 September 1853. The novel has many characters and several subplots, and is told partly by th ...
'' (1985) * ''The Death of a Heart'' (1985) * ''The Happy Valley'' (1987) * '' Chronicles of Narnia'' :: ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' (1988) :: ''Prince Caspian'' & ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' (1989) :: ''The Silver Chair'' (1990) * '' Children of the North'' (1991) * ''A Foreign Field'' (1993) * ''
Martin Chuzzlewit ''The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit'' (commonly known as ''Martin Chuzzlewit'') is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, considered the last of his picaresque novels. It was originally serialised between January 1843 and July 1 ...
'' (1994) * '' Silent Witness'' (1996) series 1 only. rom series 2 the opening titles music, prominently featuring contralto vocals, was composed by John Harle * ''Turning World'' (1996) * ''When Trumpets Fade'' (1998) * ''Ghost Stories for Christmas'' (2000) * ''Longitude'' (2000) * ''The Forsyte Saga (2002 TV series), The Forsyte Saga'' (2002–2003) * ''Island at War'' (2004)


References


External links

*
Chester-Novello Biography

Geoffrey Burgon's homepage



Obituary in ''The Guardian''



BBC obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burgon, Geoffrey 1941 births 2010 deaths 20th-century British classical composers 21st-century British classical composers English classical composers Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama BAFTA winners (people) Ivor Novello Award winners English television composers English trumpeters British male trumpeters Musicians from Hampshire People from Hambledon, Hampshire English male classical composers 20th-century English musicians 20th-century British trumpeters 21st-century British trumpeters English film score composers English male film score composers