{{Short description|British-composer (1933–2014)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}} __NOTOC__ '''Ian Kellam''' (1933 – 24 November 2014) was a British composer of church music and theatre music.
Kellam was born in Sheffield and was a chorister at Sheffield Cathedral under Reginald Tustin Baker, organist. He went on to study with Herbert Sumsion at Gloucester Cathedral, and then with Howard Ferguson at the Royal Academy of Music.<ref>[https://www.ecspublishing.com/composers/k/ian-kellam.html Biography, ECS Publishing]</ref> He taught privately, and at the London College of Music, where his students included Roger Marsh.
He composed a series of nine choral orchestral cantatas (the last in 2001), many smaller choral works for the church, and settings of the morning and evening canticles. Eighteen of his hymn tunes were collected in the volume ''Sing Praise to God'' (2005).<ref>''[https://hymnary.org/hymnal/SPTG2005 Sing Praise to God: The Hymn Tunes of Ian Kellam]'', Morningstar</ref>
Kellam wrote theatre music for the Royal Shakespeare Company, for the Chichester Festival and for Joan Littlewood. His music was used in productions staged in Moscow, Paris and New York.<ref name=bod>[https://archives.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repositories/2/resources/10074 Archive of Ian Kellam, Bodleian Library]</ref><ref>[https://theatricalia.com/person/429/ian-kellam List of theatrical productions with music by Ian Kellam], ''Theatricalia.com''</ref> ''The Young Visitors'', a musical based on the book by Daisy Ashford with a book by Michael Ashton and music by Kellam, was produced in 1968 at the Piccadilly Theatre, where it ran for 68 performances. There were also stage works for children, including ''The Journey'', with a libretto by David Gribble.<ref>David Gribble. [https://www.davidgribble.co.uk/index.php/music-published-works-with-music-by-other-composers Published works with music by other composers]</ref> ''Balaam'', for children's choir and harp, was commissioned by the Aldeburgh Festival as a companion piece to Benjamin Britten's ''A Ceremony of Carols''. Instrumental music includes the four movement ''Cassation'' for woodwind quartet (1964) and ''After School'', a suite of seven easy piano pieces for children.<ref>Philip Scowcroft. ''[https://www.musicweb-international.com/garlands/145.htm A 145th Garland of British Light Music Composers]''</ref>
Kellam also wrote two books for children: ''The First Summer Year'' (1972), and ''Where the Snow Lay'' (1990). He was an antiques collector and set up a shop in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, where he lived. Kellam was a friend of Peter Maxwell Davies, whom he met when they both played their compositions on BBC Radio's ''Children's Hour'' in the 1950s.<ref>[https://marco.ox.ac.uk/ark:29072/x0z603qw56nb Photographs in the archive of Ian Kellam: Bodleian Library]</ref> He was also friendly with the artist Daphne Charlton who introduced him to Stanley Spencer. <ref>[https://www.radnorshire-fine-arts.co.uk/product/sir-stanley-spencer-study-for-kit-inspection-burghclere-1930/ 'Sir Stanley Spencer', Radnorshire Fine Arts]</ref> He died in 2014, aged 81, at the Gloucester Royal Hospital.<ref>[https://www.cotswoldjournal.co.uk/news/11622697.mr-ian-kellam/ 'Mr Ian Kellam', ''Cotswold Journal'', 24 November, 2014]</ref> An archive of his manuscripts is held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.<ref name=bod/><ref>[https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/14205/Naxos-Quartet-No-2--Peter-Maxwell-Davies/ Peter Maxwell Davies. Naxos Quartet No. 2 (2003), Wise Music]</ref>
==Selected works== * ''Adam Lay Ibounden'' (choral, published Boosey & Hawkes) * ''After School'', seven easy piano pieces, published Stainer & Bell (1964) * ''Agnus Dei'' (2002)<ref>Recorded by the St Paul’s Cathedral Choir on Hyperion CDA67398 (2003)</ref> * ''Balaam'', (text Charles Causley) for children's choir and harp * Cantatas: **''Child of Spring'' (No. 2) **''The Seventh Tuesday of Thomas'' (No. 4, 1970) ** ''The Joly Shepard'' (No. 5, 1971) ** ''Days of Grass'' (No. 6, 1973) **''Fiat Lux'', (No. 9, 2001) * ''Cessation'' for woodwind quartet (1964) * ''Deus Amor Est'' choral, published Banks Music * ''Festival Jubilate'' (1970) for the Cheltenham Festival * ''Four Christmas Carols'', published Stainer & Bell (1962) * ''Gloucester Te Deum'' * ''Hymn to Jesus'', motet (1972)<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240228152531/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/682000a577b64ce9acf12c7e6cbe66db BBC Singers, first broadcast performance, 8 July, 1980]</ref> * ''The Journey'', a play opera for schools (1963), published Stainer & Bell * ''Lachrimae Amantis'', choral * ''The Southwark Service: Magnificat and Nucnc dimittis'' * ''A Starre Shon Bright'', cantata for soloists, narrator, organ, harp, and strings (1964) * ''Ten Unison and Part Songs for Upper Voices'', text Charles Causley (2010) * ''The Young Visitors'', musical (1968)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6THF6lIQzPg ''Agnus Dei'', St Paul's Cathedral Choir, cond. John Scott] * ''[https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/portrait-study-of-a-man-playing-the-piano-244110 Portrait Study of a Man Playing the Piano]'' by Daphne Charlton
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kellam, Ian}} Category:1933 births Category:2014 deaths Category:21st-century British classical composers Category:20th-century British composers Category: English musical theatre composers