Stephen Dodgson
Stephen Dodgson was born in London in 1924, and lived there with few interruptions for all his life. He received his musical training at the Royal College of Music, and was subsequently a member of its teaching staff in theory and composition for many years. In 1950 he went to Italy with a travelling scholarship. Through the next 15 years he was part time teacher/lecturer in a succession of schools and colleges.
From this period onwards, he was much employed by the BBC as provider of incidental music for many major radio drama productions, as well as a frequent and familiar broadcaster of reviews and other musical topics
Closely associated with Philip Jones and his famous Brass Ensemble from its earliest days, Stephen contributed a number of original works and arrangements, nearly all of which featured in PJBE recordings. Stemming from this primary stimulus, many other works have appeared for ensembles large and small, mostly for mixed wind and brass. For brass alone, he wrote four additional works for standard brass quintet, a Divertimento for 4 (trumpet, horn and tuba with piano) and Cor Leonis (solo horn). For woodwind alone there is Serenade (reed trio), Bagatelles (4 clarinets), Epigrams from a Garden (solo voice and clarinet choir).
His works for mixed wind and brass are particularly associated with the National Youth Wind Orchestra, which has taken up a number of works originally commissioned by others (e.g. Matelot, and The Eagle), and premiered Bandwagon, expressly written for it. On a smaller scale, he wrote an Octet and Partita for Ten Wind Instruments, as well as Orion (nonet for clarinets and brass). His Trumpet Concerto (with wind band) was written for James Watson. He also wrote a number of variously graded solo pieces for wind and piano for the Associated Board, and Masque, a commission by the London Oboe Band (baroque instruments), which has up to now totally resisted adaptation for modern instruments.
His compositions cover almost every genre, including opera (Margaret Catchpole, 1979); six piano sonatas; seven string quartets and much other chamber music. There is also a substantial body of music for orchestra, chorus and solo voices. He is however probably best known for his writing for guitar. His numerous works for guitar - solo, in ensemble, chamber music and concertos - brought him worldwide recognition.
Stephen Dodgson died on April 13th, 2013.
Photo Credit: Robert Carpenter Turner
From this period onwards, he was much employed by the BBC as provider of incidental music for many major radio drama productions, as well as a frequent and familiar broadcaster of reviews and other musical topics
Closely associated with Philip Jones and his famous Brass Ensemble from its earliest days, Stephen contributed a number of original works and arrangements, nearly all of which featured in PJBE recordings. Stemming from this primary stimulus, many other works have appeared for ensembles large and small, mostly for mixed wind and brass. For brass alone, he wrote four additional works for standard brass quintet, a Divertimento for 4 (trumpet, horn and tuba with piano) and Cor Leonis (solo horn). For woodwind alone there is Serenade (reed trio), Bagatelles (4 clarinets), Epigrams from a Garden (solo voice and clarinet choir).
His works for mixed wind and brass are particularly associated with the National Youth Wind Orchestra, which has taken up a number of works originally commissioned by others (e.g. Matelot, and The Eagle), and premiered Bandwagon, expressly written for it. On a smaller scale, he wrote an Octet and Partita for Ten Wind Instruments, as well as Orion (nonet for clarinets and brass). His Trumpet Concerto (with wind band) was written for James Watson. He also wrote a number of variously graded solo pieces for wind and piano for the Associated Board, and Masque, a commission by the London Oboe Band (baroque instruments), which has up to now totally resisted adaptation for modern instruments.
His compositions cover almost every genre, including opera (Margaret Catchpole, 1979); six piano sonatas; seven string quartets and much other chamber music. There is also a substantial body of music for orchestra, chorus and solo voices. He is however probably best known for his writing for guitar. His numerous works for guitar - solo, in ensemble, chamber music and concertos - brought him worldwide recognition.
Stephen Dodgson died on April 13th, 2013.
Photo Credit: Robert Carpenter Turner
