David John Pentecost (born 1940) is a British composer, videographer, writer, a retired information technology specialist, and a retired British computer industry history researcher. He is a Certified Information Technology Professional, a Life Member and Chartered Fellow of the British Computer Society, and also a Member of the Computer Conservation Society.

Early life and education

David Pentecost was born in London. He was educated privately in piano playing for seven years, from age 6, and on the violin for two years from age 9. He attended Christ's College, Finchley (a grammar school in north London), until age 18, and then studied mathematics at Brunel College of Technology. Pentecost passed three examinations at the London College of Music, up to Intermediate level. He then taught himself a large repertoire of classical piano music, during subsequent years.

Significant information technology projects

Elliott Brothers (London) Ltd

1960 – 1962 Pentecost worked as a computer programmer at computer manufacturer Elliott Brothers in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire – the first British company to become seriously involved with digital computer technology. Pentecost wrote software on the Elliott 405 computer to measure the precise execution time taken by another computer program running simultaneously on the same computer. The program's specification, program sheets and the program's paper tape were acquired from Pentecost by the Science Museum (London) in 2024 under Acquisition Reference 0001752, and are archived as object numbers 2024-716 and 2024–717; see External Links for Science Museum below. This software was used to demonstrate that Elliott's employee Tony Hoare’s new sorting techniques method Quicksort was faster than previous sorting techniques. The Quicksort method, or a version of it, now forms the basis of most computer sorting programs.

Mills Associates Ltd

In 1962, Pentecost moved to Mills Associates Ltd, where he headed a small team of programmers to implement a unit trust administration system, believed to be the first of its kind.

Unit Trust Services Ltd

In 1967, Pentecost joined Unit Trust Services Ltd in the City of London, and in 1972 he was appointed as a director. He designed and implemented what was thought to be the first fully computerised unit trust contract note production system. He chose Honeywell’s new H316 industrial process control mini-computer, having persuaded Honeywell that it would be the first of its type to be used for commercial applications in the UK.

Coward Chance (later Clifford Chance)

In 1980, Pentecost joined Coward Chance as Business Systems Manager. In 1985 Pentecost designed and implemented a system on a large Burroughs Corporation mainframe computer, to revolutionise the administrative aspects of the office, replacing typewriters with word processors, all linked to the central computer, for accounting, billing and other purposes. The system was called the Office Automation System, and it incorporated an internal electronic mail system, before electronic mail over the Internet became widely available to the general public.

Computer industry history research

In 2003, Pentecost learned that Simon Lavington, emeritus Professor of Computer Science at the University of Essex, was leading a project called Our Computer Heritage, to document the history of British computers for the Computer Conservation Society, whilst pioneers with the knowledge of these computers were still alive. The results of the project are now recorded on the website of the Computer Conservation Society. Pentecost offered, and was asked to lead part of the project, as co-ordinator for the Elliott 400 series of computers section of the website, and from 2003 to 2011 he collected information about the hardware, software and systems relating to these computers. One of his tasks was to find out about the Elliott 403 computer, which was also known as WREDAC. Only one had been built, in 1955, for the Government's Weapons Research Establishment, in Salisbury, South Australia, for the analysis of guided missile trials at Woomera. Simon Lavington referred to Pentecost's research on the 403 computer in two of his works.

Pentecost wrote an autobiography about his work in the computer industry, and included details of his research for the Computer Conservation Society's project to document early British computers. The Society regards his autobiography as a unique book, describing the complete working life experiences of a 20th-century computer programmer. The Archives of IT website also regards his autobiography worthy of inclusion in the Reminiscences section of its website

Music career

In 1987 Pentecost took organ lessons from Catherine Ennis, at St Lawrence Jewry church, which led to his becoming, for a few years, one of the organists at St. Barnabas’ Church, in Linslade, Bedfordshire.

In 2001, he was accepted as a member of the Chopin Society in London. From 2002 to 2005, before emigrating to Cyprus, he played at five of the Society's Members’ Matinée concerts, and included in his programmes a few of his early piano compositions; in 2023 he played some of his latest compositions at a sixth such concert.

From 2007 to 2011, after emigrating to Cyprus, Pentecost formed and organised two groups of amateur pianists in Cyprus, one in Paphos, the other in Limassol. They were called Pianists’ Circles and were based on similar principles to those of the Chopin Society's Members’ Matinée concerts.

He began teaching himself to compose piano solo music in 1996, and he has continued this activity since then, as a professional composer. Russian pianist Tatiana Stupak played his Nocturne Op.18 at the Technopolis Cultural Centre in Paphos on 8 December 2017. He helped Tatiana Stupak with the administration of her concerts in Cyprus after she turned professional. Tatiana Stupak and another Russian pianist, Natalia Lezedova, played about twenty of his early piano works in Cyprus at a public concert in Paphos on 13 February 2018. Tatiana Stupak played one of his compositions at a concert on 12 June 2019 at the Cyprus’ Presidential Palace. Eight of his compositions were performed at a concert held on 12 May 2021 at the Rialto Theatre, Limassol. Eight of his compositions were performed at a concert at the Historical Museum of Serbia in Belgrade on 21 April 2022, by pianist Tatiana Stupak and violinist Olivera Rialas. His Opus 56, Poème, for violin and piano, was played at a concert ‘Music through the Ages’ at Kolossi Castle, in Cyprus, on 10 June 2022. The Polish pianist played Pentecost's Reverie, Op.6 at a Polish Independence Day recital in Larnaca, Cyprus, on 5 November 2022.

The Cyprus national broadcaster, Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation classical music radio station RIK 4 Classic, has played some of Tatiana Stupak's recordings of his compositions.

In 2015, Pentecost researched the life of the once world-famous Scottish pianist Frederic Lamond (pianist), who was a pupil of Franz Liszt, shortly before Liszt's death in 1886. As a result, he made a documentary video, intended for students of music history, about Lamond and his time spent with Liszt.

In 2018, Pentecost won first prize for composition at the 4th International Competition of Musicians in Cyprus.

Up to the end of 2025, he wrote 77 piano solo works, two for church organ, and two works for violin and piano. A CD of seventeen of his compositions was issued in 2021, by stupakrecords.com, 16 played by Tatiana Stupak, one played by himself, all of which he recorded and mastered. His music was generally not written in modern styles. His music is not atonal or minimalist. According to the sheet music published at sheetmusicplus.com, most of his works are in 19th century romantic styles, although a few works are in classical and baroque styles. In February 2025, he published the 5th and last edition of his 'My Life in Music' as an e-book - see Bibliography section below, and Notes k to n. List of works

+ List of David Pentecost compositions+ (ISWC codes should be verifiable at https://iswcnet.cisac.org/search)+ (ISRC codes can be verified by clicking through to the ISRC database) Op. Title Comp. Publ. ISMN ISWC ISRC1 Lullaby-Mazurka 1996–9920142 Mélodie Triste et en Colère1997–9920143 Rondo1997–99 4 Fantasia 1997–9920145 Rondo-Scherzo 1997–996 Reverie 201420147 Waltz 200820148 Song without Words 2008201411 Prelude 2014201412 Etude 2015202013 Nocturne 2015201516 Theme & Variations 2016201617 Etude 2016201618 Nocturne 2016201619 Nocturne 2016201620 (Printed book of Op.1 – Op.19) 2016201621 Prelude 2017201722 Fantasia 2017201723 Prelude 2017201724 Nocturne2017201725 Nocturne 2017201726 Theme & Variations2017201727 Prelude 2018201928 Impromptu Dance 2019202029 Relaxation Video 2019201930 Dreaming 2019202031 Prelude 2019202032 Petit Impromptu 2019202033 St.Petersburg Waltz 2019202034 Fantasia 2019202035 Waltz 2019202036 Prelude 2019202037 Nocturne 2019202038 Impromptu 2020202039 Nocturne 2020202040 Flowers in the Rain 2020,22202041 Theme & Variations 2015,20202042 Etude 2020202043 Nocturne 2020202044 Petit Nocturne 2020202045 Mazurka 2020,23202046 Nocturne 2020202047 Bagatelle 2020202048 Petite Valse 2020202049 Intermezzo 2020202050 Prelude 2020202051 Prelude2020202052 Etude2020202053 Impromptu2020202054 Divertimento2020202055 Etude for the Sostenuto Pedal2020202058 Improvisation2021202159Waltz2021202160Waltz2022202261In Memoriam2021202262Improvisation2022202263Waterfalls2022202264Nocturne2022202265Nocturne2022202266Prelude2022202267Nocturne2023202368Nocturne2023202369Prelude for Keyboard20222022,2370Intermezzo2023202371Prelude2023202372Prelude2023202373Prelude for Organ2023202374Prelude2024202475Prelude2024202476Nocturne2024202477Prelude2024202478Prelude2024202479Prelude2025202580Intermezzo2025202581Prelude2025202582Etude2025202583Waltz2026202684Prelude2026202685Song Without Words2026202686Nocturne2026202687In the Clouds2026202698 (Printed book of Op.1 – Op.55)20202020

+ List of David Pentecost arrangements Op. Title Arr. Publ. ISMN ISWC ISRC9 Prelude – J. S. Bach BWV85520122014, 17,2010 A Chloris – Reynaldo Hahn 2012201414 Zueignung – R. Strauss 2015201515 Musetta's Waltz – Puccini 2015201556 Ex Op.46Poème for Violin & Piano2021202157 Ex Op.18 Nocturne for Violin & Piano20212021

Genealogy research projects

From about 1981 to 1991, he researched the history of his father's family, tracing it back in England to about 1480, and publishing a book. He became a member of the Society of Genealogists in London. He also researched for a few years up to 2014, the history of his mother's family and associated families, producing several books totalling more than 800 pages, which were distributed electronically privately to family members.

Part of this research led to his writing a local history book in 2021 about some properties in North Finchley in London. The book is “The History of Torrington Cottage, Finchley, and some neighbouring properties in Lodge Lane” (see the Bibliography section below). The book was accepted by The Finchley Society and is archived at Avenue House; see the External Links section below.

Bibliography

References

External links Science Museum (London) archive collection - object No. 2024-716 Science Museum (London) archive collection - object No. 2024-717 David Pentecost website David Pentecost discography Index of first lines of music compositions Finchley Society archives

Notes