Clifford Bevan
Clifford James Bevan (25 January 1934 – 26 December 2024) was an English tubist, trombonist, organologist, music historian, composer and publisher.[1][2] He specialised in historically informed performance, including historical low brass instruments such as the ophicleide, cimbasso and serpent.
Life and career
Bevan was born in Manchester on 25 January 1934.[3][4] His writing includes nine books, musical compositions, many scholarly articles, and significant contributions to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Cambridge Companion to Brass Instruments and the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Brass Instruments.[5] He co-edited with Craig Kridel the historical instruments section of the ITEA Journal, and his book The Tuba Family, first published in 1978 and expanded in a second edition published in 2000, is considered a standard text about the instrument and its history.[6]
Bevan's performance career included pianist and arranger for The Temperance Seven in the early 1960s, principal tuba of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic 1964–1972, freelancing with London orchestras and West End theatre musicals and shows, and later moving into publishing and arts administration.[5] He was instrumental in the 20th century rediscovery of the serpent and ophicleide, playing with Christopher Monk's London Serpent Trio, and performing an ophicleide recital at the London Horniman Museum in 1990 which was likely the first full-length recital in the instrument's modern revival.[2]
In 2008, the International Tuba Euphonium Association honoured Bevan's contributions by establishing its annual Clifford Bevan Award, for "Meritorious work in low brass scholarship."[2]
Bevan died on 26 December 2024, at the age of 90.[1][7]
Awards
- Historic Brass Society: Christopher Monk Award, 2008
- ITEA: Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010
- Galpin Society: Anthony Baines Prize, 2021
Publications
- The Tuba Family; London: Faber & Faber, 1978;[8] Second edition, Winchester: Piccolo Press, 2000[9]
- Musical Instrument Collections in the British Isles, Winchester: Piccolo Press, 1990
References
- ^ a b Schmidt, Paul (2025). "In Memoriam: Clifford James Bevan". Serpent Newsletter (April 2025): 4–5.
- ^ a b c Yeo 2021, pp. 23–24, Bevan, Clifford James "Cliff".
- ^ "Clifford James Bevan". Companies House. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
- ^ International Who's Who in Music and Musicians' Directory: Volume 11. Melrose Press. 1988. p. 78. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
- ^ a b Herbert, Myers & Wallace 2019, p. 65, Bevan, Clifford (James) ‘Cliff’.
- ^ Yeo 2021, p. 154, tuba.
- ^ "We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Clifford Bevan, a hugely important and beloved figure in the world of historic brass". Historic Brass on Instagram. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
- ^ Bevan, Clifford (1978). The Tuba Family (1st ed.). London: Faber & Faber. ISBN 0-571-10522-X. LCCN 77082241. OCLC 252522912. OL 4278210M. Wikidata Q111046191.
- ^ Bevan, Clifford (2000). The Tuba Family (2nd ed.). Winchester: Piccolo Press. ISBN 1-872203-30-2. OCLC 993463927. OL 19533420M. Wikidata Q111040769.
Bibliography
- Herbert, Trevor; Myers, Arnold; Wallace, John, eds. (2019). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Brass Instruments. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781316841273. ISBN 978-1-316-63185-0. OCLC 1038492212. OL 34730943M. Wikidata Q114571908.
- Yeo, Douglas (2021). An Illustrated Dictionary for the Modern Trombone, Tuba, and Euphonium Player. Dictionaries for the Modern Musician. Peterson, Lennie (illustrator). Lanham: The Globe Pequot Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-5381-5966-8. LCCN 2021020757. OCLC 1249799159. OL 34132790M. Wikidata Q111040546.