Bell, Derek Fleetwood

▪ 2003

      Irish musician and composer (b. Oct. 21, 1935, Belfast, N.Ire.—d. Oct. 17, 2002, Phoenix, Ariz.), brought a classical music background to the popular Irish folk group the Chieftains when he joined them as harpist in 1972. Having already mastered a variety of instruments, including the piano, oboe, and horn, Bell took up the harp in the 1960s while he was managing the Belfast Symphony Orchestra. In 1974 he left a job with the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra to tour full time with the Chieftains. Bell's academic training was an influence on the group's traditional music on more than 30 albums, as well as on the film sound tracks for Barry Lyndon (1975) and Far and Away (1992). In addition to his work with the Chieftains, he recorded solo albums, many of which were more classical in tone, including Derek Bell Plays with Himself (1984) and Ancient Music for the Irish Harp (1989). He was appointed MBE in 2000.

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