Geoffrey Bush (23 March 1920 – 24 February 1998) was a British composer, teacher and music scholar. Largely without formal training in composition, he produced a wide range of compositions across different genres, including many songs and works for choirs. He also edited and arranged the works of other composers. Most of his teaching was within the framework of the Extramural Departments at
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and
London University
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...
. He was a popular broadcaster on
BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
music programmes, and the author of several books.
Life
Early life
Bush was born in
Kilburn, London, on 23 March 1920, the son of Christopher Bush, a schoolmaster and writer, and his wife Winifred, née Chart (John Warrack's
ODNB
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
biography gives the father's forenames as "Charles Christmas"). Bush's parents separated at around the time of his birth, and he never knew his father.
[ ] He began piano lessons at the age of seven,
and the following year became a chorister at
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England. The cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Salisbury and is the seat of the Bishop of Salisbury.
The buil ...
choir school, where he remained until 1933, studying under
Walter Alcock
Sir Walter Galpin Alcock (29 December 186111 September 1947) was an English organist and composer. He held a number of prominent positions as an organist and played at the coronations of three monarchs. He was professor of organ in the Royal Co ...
and acquiring a lasting love of traditional English church music.
He began composing at the age of ten. In 1933 he went to Lancing College
Lancing College is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in southern England, UK. The school is located in West Sussex, east of Worthing near the village of Lancing, on the south coast of Engl ...
, where his early compositional efforts were subject to harsh criticism; this led him to destroy his early works, an action that he later regretted.[
While at Lancing, Bush met the composer ]John Ireland
John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was a Canadian actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in ''All the King's Men'' (1949), making him the first Vancouver-born actor to receive an Oscar nomina ...
, who gave him lessons in composition; the association would last until Ireland's death in 1962.[ ] Encouraged by Ireland, Bush entered Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the ...
in 1938, on a Nettleship scholarship.[ He took his ]B.Mus
Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or music school, conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consi ...
degree in 1940,[ but his Oxford studies were then interrupted by the ]Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
As a pacifist
Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaig ...
and conscientious objector
A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to obje ...
, Bush served between 1941 and 1945 as assistant warden in the Hostel of the Good Shepherd, a children's home in Tredegar
Tredegar (pronounced , ) is a town and community situated on the banks of the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in the southeast of Wales. Within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the ...
, Wales.[ During this period he composed a considerable number of works, including his first attempt at opera, ''The Spanish Rivals'', later withdrawn.][ He returned to Oxford in 1945, where in 1946 he took an MA degree in Classics, and a ]D.Mus
The Doctor of Music degree (D.Mus., D.M., Mus.D. or occasionally Mus.Doc.) is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of a substantial portfolio of compositions and/or scholarly publications on music. Like other higher doctorates, it is granted ...
.[
]
Career
Bush began his teaching career in 1947, as an extramural lecturer at Oxford. In 1952 he transferred to the Extramural Department at London University
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...
where over the following 40 years he fulfilled various roles, including that of Senior Staff Tutor from 1964 to 1980.[ He was largely responsible for the development of the London University External Diploma in the History of Music.][ He was also a visiting professor at ]King's College, London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King' ...
from 1969 to 1989, and was made a Fellow of University College, Wales in 1986.[ Bush served on a number of public bodies, including the ]Composers Guild of Great Britain
The Ivors Academy (formerly the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors – BASCA) is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy exists to support, protect, and campaign for the interests ...
, where he was the Guild's delegate on a visit to the USSR in 1964,[ the ]Performing Rights Society
PRS for Music Limited (formerly The MCPS-PRS Alliance Limited) is a British music copyright collective, made up of two collection societies: the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) and the Performing Right Society (PRS). It undertakes ...
, and the Arts Council.[ He was musical adviser to the John Ireland Charitable Trust.] Bush maintained his pacifist credentials, as a supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is an organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nu ...
(CND), and the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship.[ These interests were reflected in his short opera ''The Equation'' (1967).][
Alongside his teaching, Bush composed a large number of works, including orchestral pieces, operas, choruses and songs. His "Yorick" Overture was awarded the ]Royal Philharmonic Society
The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a mem ...
's prize in 1949.[ He wrote two symphonies in the 1950s, the first of which was first performed at the 1954 Cheltenham Festival, and at the ]Proms
The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Ha ...
in 1958. His Second Symphony was commissioned by the city of Guildford
Guildford ()
is a town in west Surrey, around southwest 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 name "Guildf ...
for the 700th anniversary of the city's foundation. Bush edited volumes of songs by Hubert Parry
Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet (27 February 18487 October 1918) was an English composer, teacher and historian of music. Born in Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Richmond Hill in Bournemouth, Parry's first major works appeared in 18 ...
and Stanford
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
, and provided the orchestration for Stanford's Third Piano Concerto.[ His writings included several published books, including ''Musical Creation and the Listener'' (1954); ''Left, Right and Centre'' (1983); and ''An Uncertain Education'' (1990).][ He edited several editions of ''Musica Britannica'', and was a regular and popular broadcaster of BBC music programmes.][
Bush was a polished pianist, and was organist at St Luke's Church, ]Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament const ...
, where he succeeded Ireland.[ In April 1950 he married Julia McKenna; the marriage produced two sons.][ Outside the world of music, Bush was a keen student of detective fiction, and collaborated with his fellow-composer Bruce Montgomery (who wrote under the name Edmund Crispin) in a story "Who Killed Baker?".][ Bush's 70th birthday in 1990 was marked by a "Celebration of English Song", held at London's ]Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadi ...
. He died in London on 24 February 1998.[
]
Music
Bush composed across a wide variety of genres, including orchestral, chamber and keyboard works, choral works for accompanied and accompanied choirs, operas, and many songs with either piano or instrumental accompaniment.[ He was happiest writing songs and operas, although he deemed song-writing as a "futile" occupation: ", Robert Herrick, Ben Jonson">Robert Herrick (poet)">Robert Herrick, Ben Jonson and Percy Bysshe Shelley">Shelley
Shelley most often refers to:
* Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822), a major English Romantic poet and husband of Mary Shelley
* Mary Shelley (1797–1851), an English novelist and the wife of Percy Shelley
* Shelley (name), a given name and a surn ...]
, although he also set more modern poets such as Stevie Smith and Kathleen Raine.