Conducting

As a conductor, Bede has extensive experience working with professional, amateur, and youth orchestras, choirs, and brass bands of all abilities. Since 2012, he has conducted the St Andrews Chamber Orchestra with Michael Downes, performing across Scotland and Ireland in addition to regular concerts in St Andrews. With the St Andrews New Music Ensemble, he has given composer portrait concerts for Tansy Davies, Thea Musgrave, Errollyn Wallen, Sally Beamish, Paul Mealor, and James MacMillan, all of whom attended the performances. The ensemble also performed for Steve Reich at his Glasgow Minimal Festival. Bede has given the world premiere of the chamber version of Thea Musgrave’s Three Women (with soprano Lesley-Jane Rogers) and John Wallace’s Opsnizing Dad (with tenor Jamie McDougall). As a student, he gave the premiere performance of John De Simone’s Symphony and, with John Wallace, recorded his landmark Symphony for Brass Band. Bede has also conducted the premiere of John Wallace’s transcription of Gabrieli’s Canzoni et Sonate (1615), titled The Invisible Symphony. This remarkable performance was the first live recording of the full 1615 publication in over four centuries and one of only a handful of complete performances ever documented. Bede has established a particularly fruitful relationship with Eddie McGuire, having performed his wind ensemble music with members of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, some of which were dedicated to Bede. In total, Bede has given over 40 world premieres and many significant territorial premieres.