Geoffrey Bush

Geoffrey Bush (23 March 1920 - 24 February 1998) was a British composer, organist and scholar of 19th century English music.

Geoffrey Bush was born in London, became a chorister at Salisbury Cathedral at the age of 8 and studied informally with the composer John Ireland. He moved on to Lancing College and completed his education at Balliol College, Oxford, graduating in 1946.

Bush taught music initially in the University of Oxford and in the University of London from 1952 for the rest of his career.

His compositions, which included 5 operas, 2 symphonies, choral pieces such as his "Christmas Cantata" and many songs, generally in the lieder style, are rarely performed and few recordings exist.

Bush died in London from prostate cancer.

References

* John Warrack, ‘Bush, Geoffrey (1920–1998)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/69432, accessed 17 Feb 2008]