Judith Bingham facts for kids

Judith Bingham OBE (born 21 June 1952) is an English composer and mezzo-soprano singer. A composer is someone who writes music. A mezzo-soprano is a type of female singing voice that is lower than a soprano but higher than a contralto.

Early Life and Education

Judith Bingham was born in Nottingham, England, on June 21, 1952. Her parents were Jack and Peggy Bingham. She went to High Storrs Grammar School for Girls in Sheffield.

From 1970 to 1973, she studied at the Royal Academy of Music. This is a famous school for music in London. In 1972, she won the Principal’s Prize for Music there. Later, in 1997, she was made an associate of the Academy. Her teachers included Malcolm MacDonald, Eric Fenby, Alan Bush, and John Hall for composition. She also learned singing from Jean Austin-Dobson.

Music Career

After finishing her studies, Judith Bingham continued to learn about composing music. She studied privately with Hans Keller from 1974 to 1980. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Northern College of Music.

From 1983 to 1995, she was a member of the BBC Singers. This is a professional choir in the United Kingdom.

In 2020, Judith Bingham was given a special award. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This award was given to her for her great contributions to music.

List of Compositions

Judith Bingham has written many different types of musical pieces. Here are some of her works:

• Flynn, an opera (a play set to music), 1977–78.
• Chartres (for orchestra), 1988.
• Beyond Redemption (for orchestra), 1994–5.
• The Temple at Karnak (for orchestra), 1996.
• Passaggio (a concerto for bassoon and orchestra), 1998. A concerto is a piece of music for a solo instrument with an orchestra.
• The Shooting Star (a concerto for trumpet and orchestra), 1999.
• Salt in the Blood (for choir and brass orchestra), 1995.
• The Darkness Is No Darkness (for choir and organ), 1993.
• The Snows Descend (for brass orchestra), 1997.
• First Light (for choir and brass orchestra), 2001.
• Bright Spirit (for wind ensemble), 2001.
• Mass (a type of religious musical work), 2003.
• The Secret Garden (a fantasy piece for choir and organ), 2004.
• Leonardo (a concerto for bassoon and thirteen Strings), 2012.
• Ghostly Grace (for choir and organ), 2015.
• Watch With Me (an anthem for Somme 100 Vigil), 2016.