(b. 3 November 1948, London).
British composer, now resident in South Africa, of mostly chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed in Europe and elsewhere.
Mr. Dedman initially studied applied physics at Brunel University in London from 1967–71, where he earned his BTech with honours. He then studied composition with Patric Standford at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London in 1973–74. He later attended masterclasses in composition with Nancy Lee Harper and Lasse Thoresen at the Bahá'í Academy for the Arts in Somerset in 2002–03 and studied composition with Francis Pott, Paul Robinson and Lawrence Roman at the London College of Music of the University of West London in 2004–05, where he earned his MMus.
Among his honours are First Prize in the Brent Music and Dance Festival (1969, for Sonata Movement for Piano [withdrawn]), Second Prize in the competition of the Stroud Festival in the UK (1974, for To Lesbia [withdrawn]), Deuxième Prix in the competition of the Florilège vocal de Tours (1985, for Come Unto Me... [revised version]), and First Prize in the competition of the University of West London (2005, for Scherzo). He has received commissions from the Birmingham Festival Choral Society (1975) and the Henbury Singers (2001). His music has been performed in Brazil, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and the USA.
Mr. Dedman is also active in other positions. As a singer, he was a tenor in the BBC Symphony Chorus from 1975–82 and appeared as a guest tenor with the Taverner Choir in 1979.
He taught composition, keyboard, music theory, piano, and singing both privately and at The Castle School in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire and St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School in Horfield from 1991–2002. He taught the same subjects privately in Slough, Berkshire from 2005–07. He has taught piano and violin privately in Middelburg, Eastern Cape, South Africa since 2008.
He has lived in South Africa since 2007.
His primary publisher is Misty Mountain Music, though Artifex Music and Obelisk Music are the publishers of some of his works.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
ORCHESTRAL:
Concerto, oboe, 13 strings, 1979–80, revised 2012
Memories of Simona, 2003–04
Messengers of Light (text by Bahá'u'lláh [English translation]), alto/countertenor obbligato, large orchestra, 2005
Hidden Duos, small orchestra (4 winds, 3 brass, piano, percussion, strings), 2007
Six Fragments of Time, 2009
Danses Concertantes, 17 or more strings, 2010
CHAMBER MUSIC:
String Quartet, 1977–79
Mosaics, guitar, 1980, revised 2010
Sonatina, viola, 1981, revised 2009
Cantus/Conductus, flute (+ alto flute), violin, cello, vibraphone, 1983
Variants, flute, 1984, revised 2010
Sonata, oboe, piano, 1990–91, revised 2008
Prelude to Unity, electronic keyboard/piano, percussion, string quartet, 1997, revised 2004
Postscript, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 1998–99, revised 2007
Waves of One Sea, 4 percussion, 1999, revised 2004
Ceremonial Fanfare, 4 B-flat trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, 2004
Fanfare Academica, 4 French horns, 4 B-flat trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, 2004
Scherzo, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2004
Theme and Variations, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 2004, revised 2008
Harmony in Diversity, viola, cello, 2005, revised 2008
Solstice, clarinet, violin, piano, 2006
Transforming Stress, cello, piano, 2008
Unchartered Territories, harp, violin, 2008
Two Tangos, clarinet, accordion, string quartet, 2009
Elegy for the Casualties of War, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2009
Four Miniatures in the Manner of Anton Webern, clarinet, violin, piano, 2010
Eternal Harmonies, violin, ensemble (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, French horn, tuba, piano, accordion, percussion), 2010
Piano Trio – Trilogy of Universal Gifts, violin, cello, piano, 2010
Light of Unity, 2 cellos, piano, 2010
Trio Sonata, flute, cello, piano, 2010
Plea for Concordance, 2 cellos, piano, 2011
Eventful Journey, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 2011
Dialogues, clarinet, organ, 2011
Karoo Landscape, flute, percussion, 2011
Dance of Africa, violin, piano, 2011
The Labyrinth, violin, piano, 2011
CHORAL:
Come Unto Me... (anthem, text from the Book of Matthew), 8 mixed voices, 1967, revised 1984
The Word Was Made Flesh (Christmas cantata, text from the Jerusalem Bible), male speaker, mixed chorus, flute (+ alto recorder), organ, percussion, 1975, revised 2010
Divine Word (cantata, texts by the composer, Bahá'u'lláh [English translation]), baritone, 8 mixed voices, 13 or more strings, 1998, revised 2009
What Is Earth? (texts by the composer, Bahá'u'lláh [English translation]), 8 mixed voices, 2001
Remember (text by Christina Rossetti), mixed chorus, 2004
We Will All Sing Hallelujahs! (text by Keith Bayliss), soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, small orchestra/orchestra (piano, 2 percussion, 21 or more strings), 2009
Healing the Planet (text by the composer, after 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi), soprano, tenor, bass, mixed chorus, trumpet, organ, percussion, 2011
VOCAL:
Images of Love (song-cycle, texts by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, William Blake, Janet Dedman, St. John of the Cross [English translation]), soprano/tenor, piano, 1982–83
O Son of the Supreme! (song, text by Bahá'u'lláh [English translation]), soprano/tenor, piano, 1986
O Ye Dwellers in the Highest Paradise! (song, text by Bahá'u'lláh [English translation]), mezzo-soprano, clarinet, piano, 1989, revised 2008
Awakening (song, texts by Norman Burroughs, Bahá'u'lláh [English translation]), mezzo-soprano/baritone, piano, 1992–93, revised 2007
A Soul in Transition (text by the composer), tenor, baritone, bass, flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 2011
PIANO:
Variations on an Original Theme, 1973–79, revised 2008
Sonata No. 2, 'In Search', 1984, revised 2008
Toccata in the Manner of J. S. Bach in the 21st Century, 1986, revised 2000
Two Reflections, 1987
Corryvreckan – Whirlpool between Jura and Scarba, 2 pianos, 2004
Three Human Attributes, piano 4 hands, 2008
Four Kinds of Love, 2008
Reformation, 2009
ORGAN:
Homage to GFH, 2007
DISCOGRAPHY
Tranquillity Zone (various works). Malcolm Dedman, electronic keyboard (Misty Mountain Music: MMM102, 2008)
Four Kinds of Love; Toccata in the Manner of J. S. Bach in the 21st Century; Two Reflections; Variations on an Original Theme (revised version); Sonata No. 2, 'In Search' (revised version); Corryvreckan; Three Human Attributes. Malcolm Dedman, electronic keyboard (Misty Mountain Music: MMM103, 2008)