English composer David Bednall writes music that draws on both his own background as an improvising organist and on various aspects of the English musical tradition, especially the choral. He wrote his first significant work, Behold, O God Our Defender, on September 12, 2001, in memory of those killed the previous day. Bednall began his career as an organist at Wells Cathedral. With choirs at his disposal both as accompanist and as conductor, Bednall began to compose more prolifically. The Wells Cathedral Choir recorded a CD of his music, Hail, gladdening Light, and his work became better known. His 40-voice motet Lux orta est iusto closed the 2015 Proms. His CD Sudden Light, appearing in 2017, collected his best-known shorter choral works. ~ James Manheim