Derek Bell (October 21, 1935 - October 17, 2002) was an Irish harpist and composer.

Derek as classical composer

Derek Bell was born in Belfast. Because he had been mis-diagnosed at an early age as having a disease that would lead to blindness, his parents gave him a musical upbringing. He was something of a child prodigy, composing his first concerto at the age of 12. He graduated from the Royal College of Music in 1957. While studying there, he became friends with flautist James Galway. Between 1958 and 1990 he composed several classical works, including three piano sonatas, two symphonies and Three Images of Ireland in Druid Times (in 1993) for harp, strings and timpani. He was a master of several instruments, including the cor anglais, harpsichord and cimbalon.

Derek as dulcimer player

The hammer dulcimer, or cimbalon, is well documented as having been played in Ireland in the eighteenth century and is even mentioned by James Joyce as an instument he heard being played in the street. Derek Bell introduced a small cimbalon, which he christened 'tiompan' after the medieval Irish instrument. In the film soundtrack of David Lean's Doctor Zhivago Derek plays a cimbalon to imitate the sound of a Russian balalaika, in several scenes. As manager of the Belfast Symphony Orchestra he was responsible for maintaining the instruments and keeping them in tune. Out of curiosity Derek asked Sheila Larchet-Cuthbert to teach him how to play the harp. In 1965 he became an oboist and harpist with the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra .

The Chieftains

On St Patrick's Day in 1972 he gave a performance on radio of the music of Turlough O'Carolan, an 18th century blind Irish harpist. At that time Carolan's music was virtually unknown, though today almost every album of harp music contains one of his compositions. Working with Derek on the project were several members of The Chieftains. Derek became friends with Chieftains front man Paddy Moloney. For two precarious years he recorded both with the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra and with The Chieftains, until finally becoming a full-time member of the Chieftains in 1975.

Eccentricity

Derek Bell was the only member of the band to wear a tie at every public performance. His suits, however, were quite scruffy. He was eccentric and told obscene jokes. The title of his 1981 solo album Derek Bells Plays With Himself has a conscious double-entendre. While touring in Moscow he grabbed his alarm clock and put it in his pocket while rushing to catch a plane. He was then stopped by the Soviet police on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon. Paddy Moloney affectionately called him "Ding Dong" Bell. He relished the eclectic collaborations, such as The Chieftain's collaboration with Van Morrison, Sting and the Chinese Orchestra . In 1991 he recorded with his old friend James Galway. He was awarded an MBE in 2002.

Hinduism

The least-documented part of Derek's life is his involvement with the Hindu yogi Paramhansa Yogananda, author of "Autobiography of a Yogi". From the early 60's Derek was a disciple of Kriyandanda, or James Donald Walters, as he was originally known. His followers visited Kriyandanda at his spiritual centre in Ananda village in Nevada City, California. Derek wrote a preface to an edition of Kriyandanda's book Kriyananda's Art As a Hidden Message . Derek writes, "After reading it, I decided to get in touch with him... I also visited Ananda several times, the beautiful village Kriyandanda himself founded in 1968... I offered to record some of Kriyananda's music". This explains why Derek Bell's final album "Mystic Harp vol II" is so very different from everything else he recorded. Is was poorly received by fans of folk music, and by classical music devotees. It is a collection of compositions by Kriyananda/Waters in a very meandering, new age style, for solo harp. In August 2002, only weeks before his death, Derek visited Kriyananda.

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

Discography (not including his work with The Chieftains)

• Carolan's Receipt (1975)
• Carolan's Favourite (1980)
• Plays With himself (1981)
• Musical Ireland (1982)
• Ancient Music For The Irish Harp (1989)
• Mystic Harp (1996)
• A Celtic Evening with Derek Bell (1997)
• Mystic Harp vol II (1999)