Standford, Patric (John)

Standford, Patric (John), English composer, writer on music, and teacher; b. Barnsley, Feb. 5, 1939. He was a student of Edmund Rubbra and Raymond Jones at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London (1961–63). After receiving the Mendelssohn Scholarship in 1964, he continued his studies with Malipiero in Italy and with Lutosławski. He taught at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (1968–80) and also served as chairman of the Composer’s Guild of Great Britain (1977–79). From 1979 to 1991 he was chairman of the British Music Information Centre. He was director of the music school at Bretton Hall Coll. (Univ. of Leeds) in Wakefield (1980–93). Standford travels widely as a lecturer and adjudicator, and writes regular features and reviews for British music journals. In 1983 he was awarded the Ernest Ansermet prize of Geneva for his third Sym., and in 1997 the first Kodály Prize of the City of Budapest for his masque The Prayer of Saint Francis for Chorus and Orch.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: Villon (1972–85). Ballet: Celestial Fire (1968; orch. suite, 1971); Reflections (1980). Other: Light music for the theater, films, and television. ORCH.: 6 syms: No. 1, The Seasons (1971–72), No. 2, Christus-Requiem for 4 Soloists, Narrator, Chorus, Children’s Chorus, and Orch. (1971–72; rev. 1980), No. 3, Toward Paradise for Chorus and Orch. (1982; Geneva, June 11, 1986), No. 4, Taikyoku for 2 Pianos and Percussion (1975–79), No. 5, with Soprano Solo (Manchester, Jan. 24, 1986), and No. 6 (1998); Saracinesco, symphonic poem (1966); Notte, poem for Chamber Orch. (1968); Antitheses for 15 Strings (1971); Cello Concerto (1974); Violin Concerto (1975); Variations (1977; arranged from the Piano Variations, 1969); Piano Concerto (1979); Dialogues for Cimbalom and Chamber Orch. (1981); Folksongs for Strings (3 sets, 1982, 1985, 1986); Rage (1993). chamber: 2 string quartets (1965, 1973); Suite française, 4 pieces for Wind Quintet (1964); Cartoons for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1984); Concertino for Piano, Oboe, and String Trio (1986); Suite humoresque for Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1987); Piano Quartet (1988); Divertimento for Violin and Piano (1989). Piano: Variations (1969); Sonata (1979–80); Faeries (1987); 3 Nocturnes (1991). VOCAL: 3 motets: In memoriam Benjamin Britten for Chorus (1976–77), Mass for Chorus and Brass Band (1980), and O sacrum convivium for Chorus (1985); Mass of Our Lady and St. Rochus for Chorus (1988); The Inheritor for Voice and String Quartet (1992); A Messiah Reborn for 4 Soloists, Chorus, and Orch., after Handel (1993); The Prayer of Saint Francis, masque for Chorus and Orch. (1997).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire