>> Music Educator
David has enjoyed a rewarding career in music education, mainly in the secondary sector. As Head of Music Department at Poole Grammar School for twenty years, he taught generations of students, many of whom have since gone onto further education and careers in Music.
In addition to his work in the classroom, David led Poole Grammar School musicians in countless performances, both in school and further afield and in prestigious UK venues such as the Lighthouse Concert Hall, Poole, the Royal Albert Hall, London, the Symphony Hall and Town Hall, Birmingham, and the Millennium Dome, London.
>> Organist, Accompanist & Conductor
David is Assistant Director of Music at Christchurch Priory, where he is part of the team leading the music at this historic Priory Church. He plays the organ professionally, both as accompanist and as a soloist, as well as working as a piano accompanist for exams, recitals, rehearsals, shows and workshops. In his rôle as Accompanist and Tutor at Bournemouth University, David is involved in the busy musical life of rehearsals, workshops and performances.
David frequently performs as a solo recitalist and, in addition to a termly recital at Christchurch Priory, he has also performed over recent years at Portsmouth Cathedral, Romsey Abbey and St Stephen’s Church, Bournemouth.
David was the organist for Saint-Saëns’ “Organ” Symphony with Westbourne Orchestra in 2017, and in 2015, David performed as soloist in Poulenc’s Organ Concerto at Winchester Cathedral with Bournemouth University Orchestra. On 25th May 2024, David will perform both these works again in a concert at Christchurch Priory, with Magna Sinfonia, conducted by Peter Stark.
>> Composer
Alongside his work as a performing musician, David works as a composer. On Christmas Day 2014, his arrangement of “I saw three ships” was performed by Portsmouth Cathedral Choir on BBC Radio 4, and subsequently recorded by them on the CD “Verbum Caro Factum Est.” In 2017, David was commissioned to write “Hodie, Christus natus est” for the Christmas Festival of Carols at Derby Cathedral.
David’s orchestral piece “One Giant Leap…” is a large-scale piece written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing by Apollo XI in July 1969. The music was commissioned by Michael Armstrong (no relation to Neil!) and the Music Education Agency “SoundStorm” and first performed in a Festival at Upton House, Poole in July 2019. Another performance, marking the 55th anniversary, takes place on Saturday 16th March 2024, given by the Westbourne Orchestra. Click here to get your tickets – WeGotTickets:
David describes the compositional process here, in the blog post on Rachel Shapey’s “I can compose” website.
David Beeby - Music Educator, Organist, Accompanist & Conductor, Composer 