Bush, Alan Dudley (1900-1995)

English composer. He adopted a didactic simplicity in his compositions in line with his Marxist beliefs. He wrote a large number of works for orchestra, voice, and chamber groups. His operas include Wat Tyler (1948-51) and Men of Blackmoor (1955), both of which had their first performances in East Germany.

Bush studied composition with John Ireland and piano with Artur Schnabel. He became professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London, conductor of the London Labour Choral Union, and, in 1936, chair of the Workers' Music Association.

Works Stage operas The Press-Gang (1946), Wat Tyler (1948-51), The Spell Unbound (1953), Men of Blackmoor (1955), The Sugar Reapers (1966), Joe Hill: the Man who Never Died (1970); incidental music for Shakespeare's Macbeth, Sean O'Casey's The Star Turns Red, and Patrick Hamilton's The Duke in Darkness.

Vocal choral work The Winter Journey (Randall Swingler) and others.

Orchestral symphony no. 2 ‘Nottingham’ (1949), no. 3 Byron (1960), no. 4 Lascaux (1983), and other orchestral music; piano concerto with chorus (Swingler), violin concerto, Concert Suite for cello and orchestra (1952).

Chamber and instrumental string quartet, piano quartet, Dialectic for string quartet (1929); instrumental pieces with piano; piano and organ music, including 24 preludes for piano (1977).