• David Ward at desk1941 Born
  • 1958-1962 Composition Studies with Alexander Goehr
  • 1986-1998 Resident on island of Yell, Shetland, Scotland
  • 1998- Resident in Banffshire (now part of Aberdeenshire), Scotland

David Ward‘s music has been commissioned by, amongst others, the BBC, London Festival Orchestra, Edinburgh Quartet, Bingham String Quartet, Saltire Quartet, Shetland Arts Trust, Woodend Music Society, Woodend Arts, Ross Pople, Michael Beeston, Shinobu Miki, Nigel Boddice and Richard Stilgoe, with funds from the Arts Council of GB, the Scottish Arts Council, Creative Scotland, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the National Lottery as well as sponsors, subscribers and trust funds.

David has also received direct grants from the Arts Council of Great Britain, the Scottish Arts Council and Enterprise North East as well as from the Hope-Scott Trust, John Younger Trust and other trusts and foundations.

Chronological List of Published Compositions & Promotional Recordings from Live Performances and Radio Broadcasts or Studio Recordings:

Completed Title (click for more details) Category Duration CD available?
1968 A Full Moon in March Chamber Opera 40   min y
1974 The Death of Ferdia Chamber Opera 33   min y
1978 Cello Concerto No 1 Cello & Full Orchestra 37   min y
1982 The Snow Queen Chamber Opera 52   min y
1983 Canzona  Clarinet & Piano 31/2 min
1983 Burlesque Bass Trbn & Brass Band 4   min
1984 Variations Cello & Classical Orchestra 18   min y
1985 3 Bagatelles Brass Band 8   min y
1987 Concert Overture on Themes from Jack’s Engagement Medium Large Orchestra 13   min y
1988 Jack’s Engagement (revised 1996) Opera (medium house) 11/2 hours y
1988 String Quartet No 1 String Quartet 25   min y
1989 Beyond the Far Haaf Mezzo, Bar, & Full Orch. 55   min y
1989 In Memoriam Simon String Quartet (solo Viola) 7   min
1990 String Quartet No 2 String Quartet 38   min y
1990 2 Minute Caprice Basset Clarinet Solo 2   min
1991 7 Pieces Basset Clarinet Solo 15   min
1992 Violin Sonata Unaccompanied Violin 13   min y
1993 String Quartet No 3 String Quartet  30   min
1993 Three Poems by J M Synge Mezzo & Piano 7   min
1993 Three Orpheus Sonnets (Rilke) Mezzo & Piano 10   min Jane Manning guide
1994 String Quartet No 4 String Quartet 19   min y
1995 Timone Opera (large house)  2   hour
1995 Stock Exchange Ballet (Timone) Full Orchestra 13   min
1995 Clarinet Quintet  Clarinet & String Quartet 30   min y
1995 Entrance, Sonata & Exit Trumpet & String Quartet 30   min
1996 Overture to Jack’s Engagement  Medium Large Orchestra  6   min
1997 Viola Concerto Viola & Medium Orchestra 32   min
1997 Concerto for Viola & Piano Reduction of Vla Concerto 32   min y
1999 Piano Sonata  Solo Piano 23   min y
1999 Songs for Patti  Mezzo and Piano 6   min
2000 Improvisation   Bass Trombone & Piano 31/2 min y
2000 Mute Play Bass Trombone & Piano 8   min y
2000 Doctor Foster Opera (large house)  21/2 hours download libretto
2001 Sonata Fantasia  Cello & Piano 17   min y
2001 Little Duet Clarinet and violin 4 min
2002 String Quartet No 5 String Quartet 11 min y
2002 Overture and Scena Soprano & Medium Large Orchestra 13 min
2002 Cello Concerto No 2 Cello & Medium Orchestra 22 min
2003 Cello Song Cello, Hp, Keybd, Strings 11min
2003 Two Romances Violin and small orchestra 16 min
2004 Bassoon Concertino Bassoon and small orchestra 11 min
2004 More for H & S Clarinet and violin 2 min
2005 Variations on a Waltz Piano 7 min
2007 String Quartet No 6 String Quartet 20 min y
2008 Evolutionary Metamorphoses 23 Solo Strings 25 min
2010 e-mails from Palestine (1) Voice, Trombone, Violin, Electric Violins, Pecussion 25 min y
2011 Sybil: a Nation Divided Opera (large house) 23/4 hours
2012 Cupid and Psyche Opera (chamber plus) 11/2 hours
2012 Dreaming of a Distant Love
(miniature paraphrase of music from Cupid & Psyche)
Alto Sax, Violin, Percussion, Electric Piano 2 min y
2013 Duo for Violin and Cello Violin and Cello 6 min
2013 String Quartet No 7
String Quartet 12 min y
2014 Pleasures are Like Poppies Spread
Mezzo and Piano 2 min
2014 Lukkaminnie’s Oo
Violin and Cello 2 min
2014 Divertimento Mixed Octet (similar to Schubert’s) 25 min
2015 The Abbot of Bingen
Soprano Voice, Trombone & String Trio 4 min
2016 The Garden of the Sun
Opera (medium house or flexible ad hoc, semi-staged etc) 2 hours
2016 In Memoriam Keith
Violin & Trombone (Baroque Violin & Sckbut) 2 min
2017 Arias and Cadenzas
Cello, Percussion (Vibraphone, Temple Blocks, Drum Kit) & Piano 23 min y
CD, DVD
YouTube Video
2017 There and Back
2 Cellos 4 min

 

2018–2023 Please see the News & Links page of this web-site for details of recent compositions.

Scores, parts and libretti available from:

Vanderbeek & Imrie Ltd, 15 Marvig, Lochs, Isle of Lewis HS2 9QP, Scotland.
Tel/fax 01851 880216.
Email:  mapamundi@madasafish.com  
Scottish Music Centre, City Halls, Candleriggs, GLASGOW, G1 1NQ.
Tel 0141 552 5222.
Email:  info@scottishmusiccentre.com