Marcus Dods (musician)

Marcus Dods (19 April 1918 in Edinburgh – 30 April 1984 in Henley-on-Thames), was a British musician and composer. He was educated at Rugby School, King's College, Cambridge where he won a choral scholarship, and later graduated from the Royal Academy of Music.

Dods was assistant music director in the Rank Organisation 1947-1951, where he assisted Muir Mathieson. He worked with Mathieson on the soundtrack recording of William Walton's score for Laurence Olivier's Hamlet in 1948. Although a composer in his own right, he was better known as an arranger and conductor. Dods was the conductor and chorus master for Sadler's Wells Opera Company (now the English National Opera) from 1952 to 1956. In 1966, he became chief conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, a post he held until 1970. In 1972 he became the musical director of the London Concert Orchestra, a post he held until his death in 1984. As a musical director, he worked on such films as Far From the Madding Crowd (1967), Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), Lady Caroline Lamb (1972) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). His television work included Doctor Who and The Forsyte Saga.

Recordings with Dods as conductor include Malcolm Williamson's The Happy Prince on Argo (with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields), Lionel Bart's Oliver! original cast recording for Decca Records, and "British Music for Film & Television" with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for EMI. Dods' short composition Highland Fancy has been recorded for ASV Records.

References

• Holmes, John L., Conductors on Record. Greenwood Press (ISBN 978-0313229909) (1982).

Preceded by Vilem Tausky

Principal Conductor, BBC Concert Orchestra 1966–1970

Succeeded by Ashley Lawrence