Born at West Wickham, Greater London, England, Alan Ridout studied briefly at the Guildhall School of Music before commencing four years of study at the Royal College of Music, London with Herbert Howells and Gordon Jacob. He was later taught by Michael Tippett, Peter Fricker and Henk Badings. He went on to teach at the Royal College of Music, the University of Birmingham, the University of Cambridge, the University of London, and at The King's School, Canterbury. He also broadcast musical talks on the radio. His works include church, orchestral and chamber music, much of it for children. His style is mostly tonal, though in younger life he wrote some microtonal works. Alan Ridout worked regularly with the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. Ridout's Three Pictures of Picasso, originally written for the National Youth Orchestra, was performed by the LSSO at a De Montfort Hall concert conducted by Rudolf Schwarz in 1964 in the presence of the composer. Ridout then composed his second symphony for the LSSO and dedicated it to Michael Tippett to mark his 60th birthday. The symphony was first performed in 1965 and also featured in the television programmeOverture with Beginners. The 1967 Leicestershire Schools Music Festival included a number of LSSO commissions and in May that year Ridout’s dance drama Funeral Games for a Greek Warrior made its debut at De Montfort Hall. In July 1967 the LSSO made its first commercial disc for the Pye Golden Guinea label and Ridout responded to a request for a short work for inclusion on the disc by composing a lively Concertante Music. The work’s debut took place on a record rather than at a public concert. Concertante Music was then taken on the LSSO tour of Denmark and Germany in September 1967. Alan Ridout lived for much of his life in Canterbury. He died in Caen, France.
Selected works
Ridout was a prolific composer; his obituary in The Independent says that a complete list of his works runs to 100 pages. ;Choral
On Christ's Nativity for choir SATB
St. John Passion for tenor, bass, chorus and organ
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis for choir SATB and organ
O most merciful Redeemer for choir SATB
Sacred Songs for Treble Voices for boys' choir and organ
The Beatitudes for 4-part treble voices
Let us with a gladsome mind for mixed choir and organ
Communion Service for choir and congregation
Sacred Songs for Treble Voices for boys' choir and organ
The History of the Flood to 6 voices and to a poem by John Heath-Stubbs
Songs of Advent for unison voices and organ
Through the Day for 2-part treble voices and organ
Samuel! Cantata for treble, baritone and bass soli, mixed choir and organ
Canticle of Joy for countertenor and tenor solo, mixed choir and orchestra
;Vocal
Whom time will not reprieve, four songs for countertenor and viola
;Orchestral For a ?complete list of his orchestral works, see
