Judith Bingham - Commissioned 2006
Judith Bingham was born in Nottingham, grew up in Sheffield and had already been composing actively for many years when she entered the Royal Academy of Music in 1970 to study composition and singing. Her teachers included Alan Bush and Eric Fenby, later Erich Vietheer (for singing) and most potently Hans Keller, with whom she studied privately.
Her individual musical voice soon attracted attention and led to many requests for works, notably for the King's Singers, Peter Pears and the Songmakers' Almanac. In 1977 she won the BBC Young Composer Award and from 1983-96 she was a regular member of the BBC Singers, for whom she has written 9 works: at the end of 2005 she becomes their Associate Composer.
The premiere of Chartres in 1993 led to a succession of major performances and commissions: by the BBC Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, King's College Cambridge, the Centenary Proms, Three Choirs Festival, Westminster Abbey and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
While her orchestral and choral works have made the widest impact, Bingham has won particular acclaim for her scores for brass ensemble, band and solo.
Judith Bingham has been co-commissioned by JAM and the BBC to write the headline piece for JAM�s 2006 concert programme.)