Martin Dalby - Aspire Magazine

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The Life & Works Of
Martin Dalby
Martin Dalby
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It is said that music can be a calming influence and
is commented as being the soundtrack to our lives.
An expression through sound, music is everywhere,
everyday, and affects everyone. One man who lives for
his music, as well as the creation of music by others, is
Martin Dalby…
Martin Dalby is an experienced and knowledgeable
musician and composer, who was born in Aberdeen in
Scotland in 1942. In a successful career spanning almost
50 years, Martin has worked with numerous well-known
musicians and has even had his music performed at The
Proms on four occasions.
Martin was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and in
1960 won a Foundation Scholarship to the Royal College
of Music in London where he studied composition with
Herbert Howells and viola with Frederick Riddle. In
1963 the Octavia Prize and a Sir James Caird Travelling
Scholarship enabled him to spend two years in Italy
where besides composing he played the viola with a small
Italian Chamber Orchestra. With this orchestra he toured
widely in Europe and North Africa.
In 1964, whilst in Rome, Martin wrote Laudate Dominum.
He dedicated it to the pupils and staff of Aberdeen
Grammar School where Dalby once was a pupil; Laudate
Dominum was performed for the first time in the Music
Hall, Aberdeen in May, 1965 by the pupils and staff of
Aberdeen Grammar School. The words are drawn from
Psalm 150 and Jubilate Agno by Christopher Smart. It
is scored for Tenor soloist, SATB chorus and Organ or
Orchestra.
In 1965, Martin was appointed as a music producer to
the BBC’s newly formed Music Programme (later to be
Radio 3.) In 1971 he became the Cramb Research Fellow
in Composition at the University of Glasgow and in 1972
returned to the BBC as Head of Music, Scotland where he
began the development of the public profile of the BBC
Scottish Symphony Orchestra, both in Great Britain and
abroad, which increases as time goes on.
In 1991 he relinquished this post in order to pursue a
more creative role in BBC Scotland. Martin told Aspire:
“John Purser and I made a massive series for BBC Radio
Scotland called Scotland’s Music, for which we won
a Sony Gold Award. As well as the Sony Award, I won
a Gramophone award, with some colleagues, for our
production of the CD of James MacMillan’s The Confession
of Isobel Gowdie.”
Work for his home city occupied him after that. First, The
White Maa for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, music
to celebrate 200 years of Union Street in Aberdeen and
more recently a String Quartet to celebrate 500 years
of Aberdeen University. In 1998 he composed his third
Piano Sonata for Peter Seivewright and a year later, a
short piece for the National Youth String Orchestra of
Scotland, The First Thursday in May, welcoming the return
of a Government in Scotland. At this time he was reliving
his fascination with the music of the great Scots fiddler
and composer, J. Scott Skinner, creating his own five
movement orchestral suite A Wheen in Doric from it. The
act of ‘rebuilding’ Skinner’s tender and characteristically
Scottish music is born of devotion not of destruction.
In 1993, Martin retired from the BBC; he now composes
full-time.
Martin has always concerned himself with the interests of
his fellow composers. He helped in forming and running
several chamber groups in Scotland. He was Chairman of
the Composers’ Guild of Great Britain from 1995 to 1998
and was a founding director of both the British Academy
of Composers and Songwriters and British Music Rights.
His membership of the BASCA Concert Executive
Committee continued from its start until 2009. He was
also Warden of the Incorporated Society of Musicians’
Performers and Composers Section in 2001 and 2002. He
retained his interest in the ISM as Convener of its South-
West Scotland Centre.
When not composing, Martin loves spending time in
the outdoors; he’s a hill walker and birdwatcher; he has
an interest in railways and literature and he also holds a
Private Pilot’s Licence.
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Web: www.impulse-music.co.uk/dalby
Email: martindalby@btinternet.com
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