User:D. G. Bell/sandbox

D. Geoffrey Bell is a Canadian composer chiefly known for his published choral music, (list of publishers below). He studied piano performance with Joan Bell, Dr. Gladys Egbert, Mary Fenwick, John Duval and Charles Foreman. He studied composition with Dr. Richard Johnston, (one of the founders of the Canadian Music Centre – Prairie Region), and electronic composition with Warren Rowley at the University of Calgary. He received Alberta Culture Awards in both 1977 and 1978, and a U. of C. scholarship in 1978. He graduated with a B. Mus. in Composition in 1978, and was awarded a Province of Alberta Scholarship and a U. of C. Alumni Bursary in 1978. His senior composition recital was awarded the highest mark ever given to that date. He followed this with a B. Ed. in 1979. He has devoted his life to teaching and composing since then.

Many pieces of Bell’s choral music were written for primary/elementary school choirs to provide quality repertoire for young singers. These range from simple Unison pieces through to more challenging two and three-part works. “If I Were a Dinosaur” was chosen as a test piece for the solo voice with piano class in the Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival in 1993. “Kites”, “Three Haiku” and the “Canadian Seasons” song cycle were written for more advanced two and three-part choirs. He has also written a number of works for SATB middle school, high school and adult choirs, such as “Insufficient Memory” and “Post-Christmas Blues”. The world premier of “She’s Like the Swallow” was given by London Pro Music in 2017, and has been recorded for release on CD later in 2017.

Bell’s serious concert choral works include his “Missa Brevis”, performed by the St. Mary Magdalene Singers for broadcast on CBC FM radio nation-wide in 1982, and “The Helios Triptych”, which had its world premier in May 2017, performed by the Vancouver Chamber Choir.

Bell has also written a variety of instrumental and ensemble works. “In-Corporate”, a piece for solo percussion was performed by Frank Lockwood at the Off-Centre Centre in 1980. A selection of instrumental works and songs was used for “The AIDS Show” in Calgary in 1990. “Childhood Memories”, a collection of nine miniatures for piano was recorded by Han Ding in 2017. Other instrumental works include “Harp Improvisation #1”, “Introspection” for solo guitar, “Try” for marimba quartet and voices, and “Donkey Riding”, commissioned by ARMTA for violin and piano in 2017.

In addition, Bell continues to create electronic synthesized music, exploring the realms of pop music and scoring for film and television soundtracks. Recent examples include “Robot Dance #1” and “Big Drop Disco Delight”.

Bell continues to be an advocate for Canadian music, and to maintain and foster quality music programs in every school across the country: 1988 – Letter-writing campaign regarding specific aspects of the new Canadian Copyright Act. 1992 – Letter-writing campaign to preserve the National Arts Centre Orchestra. 1993 – Guest speaker and performance of “Caring and Sharing” at a Gala evening for the COMET Project, a collaboration between several community agencies in Calgary to address the issue of family violence. 1995 – Invited speaker at the Calgary City Teachers’ Convention regarding significant issues in music and music education. Year? – Wrote an article for Alberta Teachers’ Association Magazine about composing music for children’s choirs. 2003 to 2017 – Letter-writing campaigns to Alberta MLAs and Ministers of Education to advocate for ongoing, continuous funding for quality education programs, including fine arts programming at all schools.

D. Geoffrey Bell is a professional member of the Canadian League of Composers. A selection of Bell’s work can be heard on his website, http://www.dgeoffreybell.com.

List of Publishers
Alliance Music Cypress Choral Music Leslie Music Supply Palliser Music Walton Music/GIA

Links for Further Information
Canadian Music Centre

University of Calgary