Gareth Wood

Gareth Wood (19502023) was a Welsh double-bassist and composer.

Early life and education Gareth Wood was born in Cilfynydd, Pontypridd, Wales on 7 June 1950. He attended Pontypridd Boys’ Grammar School and began playing the double bass. When aged just 12 he was performing in Rhondda clubs, playing the guitar with a pop band. He joined the Glamorgan Youth Orchestra as a double-bassist in 1967, and also played in the National Youth Orchestra of Wales.

He then went on to study double bass with John Walton and composition with Dr Frederick T Durrant and Paul Patterson at the Royal Academy of Music. He won there the Lucas Medal for composition and the Eugene Cruft Prize for double bass.

He first achieved recognition as a composer in 1975 when his overture Tombstone, Arizona was performed at the Royal Albert Hall during the National Brass Band Festival.

He was commissioned to write numerous other pieces for brass band, including Culloden Moor, for the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland, Introduction and Allegro, (used in the Scandinavian Championship in 1978), Hinemoa (by the New Zealand Band Association for their Centenary Championship in 1980), and The Margam Stone (by West Glamorgan Youth Brass Band).

He taught at the National Centre for Young Bass Players, and composed Light, a dectet for the Centre basses, in 2011.

Wood died in August 2023.

Notable works Wood's works for wind include: Castle Music (Banquet (2006), Nocturnal (2005), Processional (2005)) The Cauldron Concerto for Harp and Brass Band Concerto for Trombone and Brass Band Concerto No. 2 for Trumpet and Brass Band Concerto for Tuba and Brass Band Dance Sequence Euphonium Concerto (2006) Festivities Overture (2006) Five Blooms in a Welsh Garden Game On! (2005) Japanese Slumber Song An Ireland Adventure (2007) Legends of the Bear (2004) March of the Orcs (2005) Percussion Concerto (2007) Salome (1993/2012) Sosban Fach (1873/2006) Three Mexican Pictures (1992) Tombstone Arizona (Overture) Tortilla Wrap (2005) A Wiltshire Symphony Other works include: Songs of Wales Dectet, for ten double basses Poems within a Prayer (song cycle - for Robert Tear)