Bayan Peter Northcott (24 April 1940 – 13 December 2022) was an English music critic and composer.

Biography

Born in Harrow on the Hill, London to Roy and Cecilia Northcott (née Venning) on 24 April 1940 he was educated at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith. Northcott read English at Oxford University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford in 1962. He then taught English from 1964 to 1970 at Chichester High School For Boys. Subsequently he read music at the University of Southampton, where his instructors included Goehr and Jonathan Harvey. Northcott earned a BMus degree from Southampton in 1971. He mentored other composers such as Robin Holloway and Julian Anderson.

Northcott served as a music critic for the New Statesman, for The Sunday Telegraph from 1976 to 1986, He also wrote on music for Tempo and BBC Music Magazine. He was a director of the independent recording company NMC.

He died in London on 13 December 2022, aged 82.

Compositions

As a composer, Northcott's output was modest and mainly scored for small forces. Choral pieces include Hymn to Cybele (1983, performed at the 2010 Proms), the Four Votive Antiphons, Op. 7 (2003, a cumulative cycle), and Canticle: The Doubting of Thomas (2007).

List of compositions

  • Sonata for Solo Oboe, Op. 1 (1977–78)
  • Six Japanese Lyrics, Op. 2, for Sop, cl, vn (1971/79) (texts translated by the composer)
  • Fantasia for Guitar, Op. 3 (1981–82)
  • Hymn to Cybele, Op. 4, for Mezz, Ten, Bar, chor, 2 perc, db (1983) (text – Catullus, translated by the composer)
  • Sextet, Op. 5, for fl/picc, cl/b cl, pno, perc, vn, vc (1984–85)
  • Carillon (after Machaut), for 14 players (1987)
  • Three English Lyrics, Op. 6, for Sop, cl, va, db (1988) (texts – Anon, 15th–16th century)
  • Of All the Instruments (after Purcell), for fl, ob, cl, glock, vn, vc, db (1994)
  • Concerto for Horn and Ensemble, for 11 players, Op. 8 (1990–98)
  • Memento, for Sop, fl (1999) (text – Hilda Morley)
  • Four Votive Antiphons Op. 7, for Alt, 3 Ten, Bar, or chor (1997–2003)
  • "Salve Regina", Op. 7, No. 1 (1999) (text – Anon Latin)
  • "Alma Redemptoris Mater", Op. 7, No. 2 (2000) (text – Anon Latin)
  • "Ave Regina Celorum" / "Alleluia", Op. 7, No. 3 (1997) (text – Anon Latin)
  • "Regina Celi", Op. 7, No. 4 (2003) (text – Anon Latin)
  • Fandango, Op. 9, for Harpsichord (2006)
  • Canticle: The Doubting of Thomas, for Mezz, Ten, Bar, chor, org (2007) (text – Bible, Authorized Version)
  • Poet and Star, for Sop, Ten, pno (2008) (text – Thomas Hardy)
  • Doubles All Round, for fl/picc, cl/b cl, hn, pno, vn, vc (2009)
  • Elegy for Solo Viola (2013)
  • Concerto for Orchestra (2014–16)
  • Sonata for Flute and Clarinet (2018)

Filmography

  • 2006 – In Search of Mozart (contributor)
  • 2009 – In Search of Beethoven (contributor)
  • 2012 – In Search of Haydn (contributor)

Writing

Books

  • 1980 – The Music of Alexander Goehr : Interviews and Articles
  • 2009 – The Way we Listen Now and Other Writings on Music, ed. Christopher Wintle

Journalism

  • 'As long as the muse lives on: On Elliott Carter's 85th birthday', in The Independent, 11 December 1993
  • 'Modern music and the tale of two Ms', in The Independent, 17 November 2001

References

  • Stainer & Bell Ltd, publisher's page on Bayan Northcott
  • Saturday Chorale blog, 'Bayan Northcott: Salve Regina', 19 January 2016