Dalby, (John) Martin

Dalby, (John) Martin , Scottish composer and broadcasting administrator; b. Aberdeen, April 25, 1942. He was a violist in the National Youth Orch. of Great Britain before attending the Royal Coll. of Music in London on scholarship, where he studied viola with Riddle and composition with Howells (1960–63); additional scholarships allowed him to pursue studies in Italy (1963–65). From 1965 to 1971 he was a music producer with the BBC in London. After serving as the Cramb Research Fellow in composition at the Univ. of Glasgow (1971–72), he held the position of head of music with the BBC in Scotland (from 1972), where he was executive music producer (from 1990).

Works

ORCH Waltz Overture (Glasgow, Nov. 29, 1965); 2 syms.: No. 1 (Aberdeen, March 10, 1970) and No. 2, Chamber Sym., O Bella e Vaga Aurora (Edinburgh, Sept. 10, 1982); Concerto Martin Pescatore for Strings (Cheltenham, July 6, 1971); The Tower of Victory (Glasgow, Sept. 22, 1973); Viola Concerto (London, Sept. 6, 1974); El Ruişenor (London, Oct. 27, 1979); Nozze di Primavera (Kirkwall, June 19, 1984); The Mary Bean (London, Aug. 17, 1991). SYMPHONIC WIND BAND: A Plain Man’s Hammer (1984; Glasgow, June 19, 1985); Flight Dreaming (Glasgow, Sept. 22, 1990). BRASS BAND : Lively Man (Stirling, Aug. 6, 1988). CHAMBER : Piano Trio (1967); Pindar is Dead for Clarinet and Piano (1968); Oboe Sonatina (1969); Commedia for Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano (London, May 5, 1969); Whisper Music for Flute, Piccolo Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Trumpet, Percussion, Harp, and Cello (London, May 5, 1971); Cancionero para una Mariposa for Flute, 2 Bassoons, 2 Trumpets, 2 Trombones, and 2 Cellos (Cardiff, March 13, 1971); String Quintet (London, Oct. 27, 1972); Yet Still She is the Moone for 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, and Tuba (London, April 30, 1973); Paginas for Treble Recorder and Harpsichord (London, March 1, 1973); Unicorn for Violin and Piano (1975); Aleph for 2 Flutes, Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Cimbalom or Harpsichord, and 2 Double Basses (Royan, March 25, 1975); Almost a Madrigal for Flute, Horn, 2 Trumpets, Trombone, Tuba, and 2 Percussion (Glasgow, April 28, 1977); The Dancer Eduardova for 6 Players (Orkney, June 20, 1978); Man Walking, serenade for Octet (London, June 4, 1981); Scotch Rhapsody for Viola and Piano (1983; London, Jan. 11, 1984); Songs My Mother Taught Me for Chamber Ensemble (1986; Glasgow, Feb. 16, 1987); Rose of Gazing for Recorder and Harpsichord (1987); De Patre ex Filio for Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass (Edinburgh, March 13, 1988). Piano : 2 sonatas: No. 1 (Lower Machen, South Wales, July 21, 1985) and No. 2 (1989; Edinburgh, Oct. 30, 1990). VOCAL : Laudate Dominum for Tenor or Soprano, Chorus, and Organ or Orch. (1964; Aberdeen, May 17, 1965); Wanderer for Mezzo-soprano and Piano (Edinburgh, Aug. 22, 1965); Requiem for Philip Sparrow for Mezzo-soprano, Chorus, and Orch. (1967; London, March 10, 1968); The Fiddler for Soprano or Tenor and Violin (1967; Glasgow, Jan. 18, 1971); Cantica for Soprano or Tenor, Clarinet, Viola, and Piano (London, June 4, 1969); The Keeper of the Pass for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (Edinburgh, Sept. 4, 1971); Orpheus for Chorus, Optional Narrator, and 11 Instruments (Stirling, April 16, 1972); Cantigas del Cancionero for 2 Tenors, 2 Baritones, and Bass (Glasgow, Feb. 9, 1972); El Remanso del Pitido for 12 Solo Voices (London, April 5, 1974); Ad Flumina Babyloniae, motet for Chorus (Ghent, Sept. 17, 1975); Beauty a Cause for 12 or 16 Voices and Instrumental Ensemble (1977; Glasgow, Feb. 13, 1978); Coll for the Hazel Tree for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass with Amplification (1979; Fife, Feb. 27, 1980); Antoinette Alone for Mezzo-soprano and Piano (1980; BBC Radio 3, Sept. 19, 1981); Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis for Chorus and Organ (Paisley Abbey, Nov. 30, 1980); My Heart Aflame, motet for Chorus (Glasgow, Oct. 29, 1983); 5 Sonnets from Scotland for Soprano, Tenor, and Piano (1985; Aberdeen, March 17, 1986); Celebration in Psalms for Chorus, Brass, Percussion, and Organ (Aberdeen, Dec. 8, 1985); The Sower, anthem for Chorus (Radio Scotland, Nov. 20, 1988); Nee Tamen Consumebater, anthem for Chorus and Organ (Glasgow, June 26, 1989); Et Resurrexit for Chorus and Organ (Glasgow, June 22, 1990).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire