Artist Profiles: Derek Bell

A native of Belfast (born October 21, 1935), Derek Bell was The Chieftains‘ virtuoso harpist who originally performed with the Belfast Symphony Orchestra. He also played piano, oboe and tiompán (a stringed instrument with 120-130 strings dating from fourth-century Ireland, similar to a hammered dulcimer). Bell first played with The Chieftains in 1972 as a regular guest and joined the band as a full-fledged member in 1974. His first recording with the band was The Chieftains 4 (1974).

A child prodigy, Bell started his musical career on piano at the age of nine and he composed his first concerto at 11. He became a regular on the BBC radio program Children’s Hour, often composing new material for the show. He later earned a scholarship to study composition at London’s Royal College of Music and then studied piano in Colorado. He went on to be a soloist appearing with symphony orchestras in Berlin, Moscow, Budapest, Dublin and London.

While he studied harp in Salzburg, Austria, he did not begin playing it seriously until he was 30 and managing the Belfast Symphony Orchestra. Prior to his Chieftains tenure, he recorded five solo albums, four on harp and one on piano.

Derek Bell died on October 17, 2002 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Discography:

Solo:

Carolan’s Receipt (Claddagh Records CC18 1975)
Carolan’s Favourite (Claddagh Records CC28 198)
Derek Bell Plays With Himself (Claddagh Records CSM51 1981)
Musical Ireland (Claddagh Records CC35 1982)
Ancient Music For The Irish Harp (Claddagh Records CC59 1989)
Mystic Harp (Crystal Clarity Publishers 1996)
A Celtic Evening with Derek Bell (Clarity Sound & Light CLS 12 1997)
Mystic Harp II (Clarity Sound & Light 1999

With The Chieftains:

The Chieftains 4 (1973)
The Chieftains 5 (1975)
The Chieftains 6: Bonaparte’s Retreat (1976)
The Chieftains 7 (1977)
The Chieftains Live! (1977)
The Chieftains 8 (1978)
The Chieftains 9: Boil the Breakfast Early (1979)
The Chieftains 1: Cotton-Eyed Joe (198)
The Year of the French (1981)
The Grey Fox (1982) soundtrack to The Grey Fox
Concert Orchestra (1983)
The Chieftains in China (1985)
Ballad of the Irish Horse (1986)
Celtic Wedding (1987)
In Ireland with James Galway (1987)
Irish Heartbeat with Van Morrison (1988)
The Tailor Of Gloucester (1988)
A Chieftains Celebration (1989)
Over the Sea To Skye: The Celtic Connection (199)
The Bells of Dublin (1991)
Another Country (1992)
An Irish Evening (1992)
The Celtic Harp: A Tribute To Edward Bunting (1993)
The Long Black Veil (1995)
Film Cuts (1996)
Santiago (1996)
Long Journey Home (1998)
Fire in the Kitchen (1998)
Silent Night: A Christmas in Rome (1998)
Tears of Stone (1999)
Water From the Well (2000)

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.