Brian Bonsor

James Brian Bonsor (21 August 192622 February 2011) was a Scottish-born composer and teacher specialising in the recorder.

Life and career Brian Bonsor was born in Hawick, Roxburghshire on 21 August 1926. Following war service he studied at Moray House in Edinburgh and at Trinity College, London, to become a music teacher. He studied briefly with the recorder player Carl Dolmetsch.

Bonsor spent about 35 years in musical education, teaching in primary and secondary schools, including 17 years at Hawick High School. He taught further education classes and summer courses and later acted as Regional Education Advisor for the Scottish Borders in the 1970s.

He was awarded an MBE in 2002 for services to teaching music, in particular the recorder. Enjoy the Recorder, written by Bonsor, is used to teach the recorder in schools. His arrangements for recorders include Percy Grainger's Mock Morris (1985), Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Strauss's Emperor Waltz (1985). Bonsor was a musical director for the Society of Recorder Players from 1967.

Bonsor wrote the piano piece Dreamy, which was featured in Trinity Guildhall's 2012–2014 Grade 6 repertoire. His piece Feelin' Good was included in the ABRSM's 05/06 grade 6 repertoire, the Royal College of Music's grade 7 repertoire and the Australian Music Examinations Board's grade 6 Old Syllabus and Willie Wagglestick's Walkabout for the ABRSM's 07/08 grade 7 repertoire and AMEB's grade 7 Old Syllabus.

Bonsor died in Hawick on 22 February 2011.

List of compositions Bagatelle Beguine, 2 recorders, piano Second Beguine, 2 descant recorders, 2 treble recorders, 2 violins, piano and percussion By the brook, recorder, piano Calliope, 3 recorders Carebbean, recorder, piano Carriage and pair, 3 recorders, piano Celebration time!, 6 recorders, piano Dreamy, piano Easy Jazzy duets, 2 recorders Fiesta, 3 recorders, piano Feelin' Good, 2 recorders Happy - go - lucky, 3 recorders Happy whistler, 3 recorders Here we go, 2 recorders Hoe down, 2 recorders, piano Jemina, recorder, piano Little clock, 2 recorders Nice and easy, recorder, piano On parade, recorder, piano Over to you, 2 recorders Rumba, 2 recorders, piano Scherzino, recorder, piano Serenata, recorder, piano Simple Samba, 2 recorders, piano Summer afternoon, recorder, piano Suite for SAMA (SATB recorders), 2008 Sunny island, 3 recorders Swing your partners, recorder, piano Tango, 3 recorders, piano Three into 5, recorders (SAT, divisi, 3 or 5 Recorders), piano Time to tango, 2 recorders Tig, 3 recorders Valerie, 2 recorders, piano Waltz for Mo, recorder, piano Willie Wagglestick's Walkabout, piano