Patric Standford
Patric Standford (5 February 1939 – 23 April 2014) was an English composer, supporter of composers' rights, educationalist and author. Early life and education. Patric John Standford was born in Barnsley, then in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and had a Quaker education at Ackworth School in West Yorkshire. He began his working life as a legal accountant and served in the Royal Air Force at 617 Squadron in Lincolnshire before arranging his own admission to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London in 1961, where he studied composition with Edmund Rubbra and Raymond Jones. While a  student, he was awarded both the Carl Meyer Prize and the Royal Philharmonic Society Prize for composition. Career. In 1964, Standford was awarded the Mendelssohn Scholarship, enabling him to travel to Venice and study with Gian Francesco Malipiero, and later to Warsaw where he studied with Witold Lutosławski. In 1967 he joined the professorial staff of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and from then divided his working life between composing, conducting, teaching and musical journalism. When Edmund Rubbra retired, Standford was appointed the School's principal composition professor and was awarded a Fellowship of the Guildhall School of  Music (FGSM) in 1972. In 1978, he gained a master's degree in composition at Goldsmiths College, London University. Standford became chairman (1977–1980) of the Composers' Guild of Great Britain (since amalgamated into the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA)) and chairman (1980–1992) of the British Music Information Centre (since amalgamated into Sound and Music). In those capacities, he organised British music representation at various international events, including the Nordic Music Committee (NOMUS) in Helsinki and the Latin-American Festival in Venezuela in collaboration with the BBC. Standford held the post of Head of Music at the Leeds  University College Bretton Hall from 1980 to 1993, while continuing to compose, write and appear as a regular jury member for competitive choral festivals in Hungary, France and Estonia. After the death of his wife in 2011, Standford made his home in Suffolk and continued to work there, composing, writing and teaching until his death in April 2014, aged 75. Composer. Standford's music covers many genres, predominantly the orchestra. He wrote his Easter oratorio "Christus Requiem" for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama's principal Allen Percival and the City of London in 1973. "Christus Requiem" brought together  the full orchestral, choral and dramatic forces of the Guildhall School for its first performance in St. Paul's Cathedral, in the Spring of that year. This oratorio received the Yugoslavian Government award in 1974. His orchestral works have received the following international awards. His first symphony "The Seasons", written in 1972 gained the Premio Città di Trieste award. His Symphony No. 2 was awarded the Óscar Esplá prize for composition in Spain. In 1983, Standford was awarded the Ernest Anserment Prize of the City of Geneva for his choral symphony "Toward Paradise". The 5th Symphony was commissioned by the  BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in 1984. Orchestral works also include "Prelude to a Fantasy: The Naiades", recorded in 2012 along with his Cello Concerto, performed by Raphael Wallfisch and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by David Lloyd-Jones. Other works include music for chamber groups, "Five French Folksongs" written for and performed by the Nash Ensemble of London, "Taikayoku: Symphony No. 4" a work for two pianos and percussion and music designed for elementary players like "Holiday Memories". Standford was commissioned to write a number of pieces for the Guildhall graded examinations (now Trinity College London). Choral works range from  larger-scale choral works like "Christus Requiem" and "The Prayer of Saint Francis", to unaccompanied pieces including the "Mass for Hildegard of Bingen," recorded by the BBC Singers in 2013, more intimate works including the carol "This Day" and "Stabat mater" performed and broadcast by the BBC Singers on BBC Radio 3. Standford continued to compose up until his death. Works include "Recorder Quintet" commissioned by John Turner, recorded and premiered at the Rawsthorne Festival in 2014. "Anthem" commissioned by Elis Pehkonen, premiered at the William Alwyn Festival 2014. He had also revised his great work "Christus Requiem" with plans  for performance at Norwich or Chichester Cathedrals. Among Standford's pupils were Barry Guy, Jerry Lanning, Lionel Sainsbury, and Gary Higginson. Writer. Standford contributed articles and reviews to "Choir and Organ". From 1980 to 2008, he was music critic for the "Yorkshire Post", writing features and revues. He also wrote a series of lively articles entitled "Provocative Thoughts" for "Music & Vision Magazine" and a monthly blog for the Open College of the Arts. In 1992, Standford published "Projects: A Course in Musical Composition", and in 2008 he devised and wrote the composition study course for the Open College of the  Arts.