David Pentecost

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{{cite book |title=The Centenary Book Of Christ's College, Finchley 1857 – 1957 |publisher=printed for the School by G F Amory & Sons Ltd, Finchley |date=1 January 1957 |asin=B001U0Z94Q}} (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.

1960 – 1962 Pentecost worked as a computer programmer{{efn|name=Elliott_Brothers_offer}} at computer manufacturer Elliott Brothers in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire – the first British company to become seriously involved with digital computer technology.{{cite book |last=Lavington |first=Simon Hugh |date=May 1980 |title=Early British Computers The Story of VINTAGE Computers and the People Who Built Them |url=http://www.ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/EarlyBritish-05-12.html#Ch-11 |location= |publisher=Manchester University Press |page=58 |isbn=9780719008108}} 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.{{cite tech report |url=https://ourcomputerheritage.org/Maincomp/Eli/E2ExtraSoftware.pdf |first=David John |last=Pentecost |title=SOFTWARE AND SAMPLE PROGRAMS FOR ELLIOTT 401, 402, 403, 405 COMPUTERS |issue=12 |institution=Computer Conservation Society |date=11 February 2011 |pages=16–25}} 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.{{cite journal |last=Hoare |first=Charles Antony Richard |date=1 January 1962 |title=Quicksort |url=https://academic.oup.com/comjnl/article/5/1/10/395338 |journal=The Computer Journal |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=13 |doi=10.1093/comjnl/5.1.10 |access-date=16 January 2021|doi-access=free }}{{efn|name=Previous_sorting_techniques}} The Quicksort method, or a version of it, now forms the basis of most computer sorting programs.{{cite book |last=Wild |first=Sebastian |arxiv=1608.04906 |title=2018 Proceedings of the Fifteenth Workshop on Analytic Algorithmics and Combinatorics (ANALCO) |chapter=Quicksort is Optimal for Many Equal Keys |date=13 August 2018|pages=8–22 |doi=10.1137/1.9781611975062.2 |isbn=978-1-61197-506-2 |s2cid=17298957 }}{{cite arXiv |last1=Edelcamp |first1=S. |last2=Weiss |first2=A. |last3=Wild |first3=Sebastian |eprint=1811.01259 |date=2018 |title=QuickXsort: A Fast Sorting Scheme in Theory and Practice|class=cs.DS }}

In 1962, Pentecost moved to Mills Associates Ltd,{{efn|name=Mills_Associates}} where he headed a small team of programmers to implement a unit trust administration system, believed to be the first of its kind.{{cite magazine |last=Pentecost |first=David |date=June 1963 |title= Surmounting the Peaks in data processing demands |magazine=Data and Control |volume=1 |number=6 |pages=28–30 |publisher=Business Publications Ltd |location=London}}{{efn|name=Surmounting_the_Peaks}}

In 1967, Pentecost joined Unit Trust Services Ltd in the City of London, and in 1972 he was appointed as a director.{{efn|name=Unit_Trust_Services_Ltd}} 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.{{cite news |date=2 July 1970 |title=Unit trust dealings processed on H316 |work=Computer Weekly |location=London }}{{efn|name=Computer_Weekly}}{{cite news |editor1-last=Bennett |editor1-first=Arthur |editor2-last=Schoeters |editor2-first=Ted |date=1 July 1970 |title=Low-cost contract system |work=Financial Times |location=London }}{{efn|name=Financial_Times}}

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.{{efn|name=Office_Automation_System}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcomputerheritage.org |title=Computer Conservation Society |access-date=16 January 2021}} Pentecost offered, and was asked{{efn|name=Pentecost_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,{{cite book |last=Dean |first=John |title=Reflections on the History of Computing |chapter=Australia's WREDAC – it was Rocket Science |date=2012 |series=IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology |volume=387 |pages=1–21 |location=Berlin |publisher=Springer |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-33899-1_1 |isbn=978-3-642-33898-4}} in Salisbury, South Australia, for the analysis of guided missile trials at Woomera.{{cite conference |title=Swords and Ploughshares: Connections between Computer Projects for War and Peace, 1945 – 55 |first=Simon H |last=Lavington |date=January 2011 |conference=Dependable and Historic Computing – Essays Dedicated to Brian Randell on the Occasion of His 75th Birthday |editor1-last=Jones |editor1-first=Cliff B. |editor2-last=Lloyd |editor2-first=John L. |publisher=Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg |location=Berlin |pages=313–322 |isbn=978-3-642-24540-4 |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-24541-1|doi-access=free }} Simon Lavington referred to Pentecost's research on the 403 computer in two of his works.{{cite book |last=Lavington |first=Simon |date=2011 |title=Moving Targets |publisher=Springer |page=112 |isbn=978-1-84882-932-9}}{{cite magazine |last=Lavington |first=Simon |date=2006 |title=Our Computer Heritage Working Party |url=https://www.computerconservationsociety.org/resurrection/res38.htm#b |magazine=Journal of the Computer Conservation Society |issue=38 |location=London |publisher=Computer Conservation Society |access-date=16 January 2020}}

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.{{cite magazine |title=News Round-up |url=https://www.computerconservationsociety.org/resurrection/res91.htm#b |magazine=Journal of the Computer Conservation Society |issue=91 |location=London |date=2020 |publisher=Computer Conservation Society |access-date=16 January 2020}} The Archives of IT website also regards his autobiography worthy of inclusion in the Reminiscences section of its website{{cite web|url=https://archivesit.org.uk/contributions/reminiscences/|title=Reminiscences|website=Archives of IT website|access-date=9 January 2023|archive-date=17 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617195701/https://archivesit.org.uk/contributions/reminiscences/|url-status=bot: unknown}}

File:David Pentecost Technopolis Paphos 2018.jpg

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.{{cite magazine |magazine=Newsletter of the Chopin Society | title= New Members section |date=2001 |edition=Autumn 2001 |publisher=The Chopin Society UK}}{{efn|name=Accepted_Chopin_Society}} 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.{{cite magazine |magazine=Newsletter of the Chopin Society| title=The President's Letter section |date=2023 |edition=Autumn 2023 |page=18 |publisher=The Chopin Society UK}}{{efn|name=Piano_Compositions}}

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.{{cite magazine |last=Constantinou |first= Saskia |date=29 April 2007 |title= Pianos, pianists and performances |magazine=Cyprus Sunday Mail |page=51 |location=Nicosia}}{{efn|name=Pianists_Circles}}

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.{{cite web |url=https://www.paphoslife.com/events/classic_171208/|title=Classical Concert|website=Paphos Life|access-date=January 12, 2023}} He helped Tatiana Stupak with the administration of her concerts in Cyprus after she turned professional.{{cite web |url=https://issuu.com/afishacyprus/docs/afishacyprus_e6f3ae822a2284/84 |title=Tatiana Stupak. Contemporary pianist you should be listening to |website=Afisha Cyprus |date=13 December 2017 |access-date=16 January 2021}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://cyprus-mail.com/2018/02/11/something-new-piano/ |title=Something new for the piano |website=Cyprus Mail |access-date=16 January 2021}} Tatiana Stupak played one of his compositions at a concert on 12 June 2019 at the Cyprus’ Presidential Palace.{{cite web |url=https://issuu.com/moiostrov/docs/moiostrov105web/99 |title=Концерты Татьяны Ступак |date=13 August 2019 |access-date=16 January 2021 |quote=V Prezidentskom dvortse v Nikosii 12 iyunya sostoyalsya kontsert «Gorod pod zvezdami»<>Tat'yana otkryla kontsert tremya sol'nymi proizvedeniyami: «Merkutsio» S. S. Prokof'yeva, «Noktyurnom, or. 18» limasol'skogo kompozitora Devida Pentekosta i «Balladoy № 1» F. Shopena. |script-quote=ru:В Президентском дворце в Никосии 12 июня состоялся концерт «Город под звездами»<>Татьяна открыла концерт тремя сольными произведениями: «Меркуцио» С. С. Прокофьева, «Ноктюрном, ор. 18» лимасольского композитора Дэвида Пентекоста и «Балладой № 1» Ф. Шопена. |trans-quote=On 12 June, at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, a concert "City under the Stars" took place <> Tatiana opened the concert with three solo pieces: "Mercutio" by S. Prokofiev, "Nocturne, Op.18 "by the Limassol composer David Pentecost and "Ballade No.1" by F.Chopin.}} Eight of his compositions were performed at a concert held on 12 May 2021 at the Rialto Theatre, Limassol.{{cite web |url= https://cyprus-mail.com/2021/05/06/from-classical-to-modern-with-cello-and-piano/ |title=From classical to modern, with cello and piano |website=Cyprus Mail |date=6 May 2021 |access-date=7 May 2023}} 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.{{cite book |last=Bojić |first=Dušica |date=2022|title=Музиком кроз музеј |location=Belgrade |publisher=Историјски музеј Србије |pages=105–107 |isbn=978-86-81590-15-7|access-date=28 May 2023 |url= https://sr.cobiss.net/en/}} 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.{{cite web |url= https://cyprus-mail.com/2022/05/27/music-through-the-ages// |title=Music through the ages |website=Cyprus Mail |date=27 May 2022 |access-date=7 May 2023}} The Polish pianist {{interlanguage link|Wojciech Waleczek|pl}} played Pentecost's Reverie, Op.6 at a Polish Independence Day recital in Larnaca, Cyprus, on 5 November 2022.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.pl/web/cyprus/celebrations-of-the-polish-independence-day-in-larnaka/ |title=Chopin Meets The Beatles – Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Cyprus|website=Government of Poland website |access-date=November 8, 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.waleczek.com/2022/11/11/celebrations-of-the-polish-independence-day-in-larnaka/|title=Celebrations of the Polish Independence Day in Larnaka|website=Wojciech Walezcek website |access-date=January 12, 2023}}

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{{cite web |url=https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usbiography/l/fredericlamond.html |title= Frederic Lamond |website=Undiscovered Scotland |access-date=16 January 2021}} of Franz Liszt, shortly before Liszt's death in 1886. As a result, he made a documentary video,{{cite AV media |first=David |last=Pentecost |people= |date=4 July 2016 |title=Frederic Lamond's life & time with Franz Liszt |medium= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QonIn6T6cWo |access-date=16 January 2021 |edition=2nd }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.karamanov.ru/cyprus2018res.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321090013/http://www.karamanov.ru/cyprus2018res.html |title=IV INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION OF MUSICIANS IN CYPRUS nominations |archive-date=21 March 2021}}{{efn|name=First_Prize}}

Up to July 2024, he wrote 73 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.{{cite web |url=https://cyprus-mail.com/2021/10/09/elderly-composer-uses-skills-old-and-new// |title=Elderly composer uses skills old and new |website=Cyprus Mail |date=9 October 2021 |access-date=7 May 2023}} His music was generally not written in modern styles. His music is not atonal or minimalist.{{cite web |url=https://www.cyprusevents.net/events/two-classical-pianists-one-composer-paphos-2018 |title=Two Classical Pianists – One Composer |website=Cyprus Events |access-date=16 January 2021}} 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.{{cite web|url= https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/publishers/classical/david-pentecost/3002924+700027|access-date=14 May 2022|title=David Pentecost Sheet Music}}

In July 2023, he published the 4th edition of his 'My Life in Music' - see Bibliography section below, and Notes k to n.

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.{{cite book |last=Pentecost |first=David |title= The History of the Pentecost Family of Borehamwood |location=United Kingdom |date= 1 January 1991 |isbn= 978-0951871904 |url=https://s10312uk.eos-intl.eu/S10312UK/OPAC/Details/Record.aspx?BibCode=4888919&SearchType=3&BrowsetxtSearch=The%20History%20of%20the%20Pentecost%20Family%20of%20Boreham%20Wood&BrowselstIndex=1&BrowseSearchMethod=BeginsWithUnRestricted&BrowseIsSingleSelected=1&BrowsePageNumber=801 |access-date=16 January 2021}} 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.

• {{Cite book |last=Pentecost |first=David |date=1991 |title=The History of the Pentecost Family of Borehamwood |location=Leighton Buzzard |isbn=978-0-9518719-0-4}}
• {{Cite book |last=Pentecost |first=David |author-mask=7 |date=2017 |title=My Life in Music |edition=1st |url=https://archive.org/details/my-life-in-music-1st-edition_202205 |location=Leighton Buzzard |isbn=978-0-9518719-2-8}}
• {{Cite book |last=Pentecost |first=David |author-mask=7 |date=2020 |title=My Working Life |edition=2nd |url=https://www.computerconservationsociety.org/rd/pentecost.pdf |location=Leighton Buzzard |isbn=978-0-9518719-3-5}}
• {{Cite book |last=Pentecost |first=David |author-mask=7 |date=2020 |title=My Life in Music |edition=2nd |url=https://archive.org/details/my-life-in-music |location=Leighton Buzzard |isbn=978-0-9518719-4-2}}
• {{Cite book |last=Pentecost |first=David |author-mask=7 |date=2021 |title=The History of Torrington Cottage, Finchley

|url=https://archive.org/details/torr-cott-2021-06-26-british-library-book-2021-06 |location=Leighton Buzzard |isbn=978-0-9518719-5-9}}

• {{Cite book |last=Pentecost |first=David |author-mask=7 |date=2022 |title=My Life in Music |edition=3rd |url=https://archive.org/details/my-life-in-music-3rd-edition-9th-may-2022 |location=Leighton Buzzard |isbn=978-0-9518719-6-6}}
• {{Cite book |last=Pentecost |first=David |author-mask=7 |date=2023 |title=My Working Life |edition=3rd |url= https://archive.org/details/my-working-life-e-book-edition-3_202306 |location=Leighton Buzzard |isbn=978-0-9518719-7-3}}
• {{Cite book |last=Pentecost |first=David |author-mask=7 |date=2023 |title=My Life in Music |edition=4th |url=https://openlibrary.org/works/OL36415538W/My_Life_In_Music_4th_Edition_e-book_21_July_2023 |location=Limassol |isbn=978-9925-8045-1-1}}
• {{Cite book |last=Pentecost |first=David |author-mask=7 |date=2025 |title=My Life in Music |edition=5th - e-book |url=https://archive.org/details/my-life-in-music-5th-edition-e-book-2025.02.12|location=Limassol |isbn=978-9925-8045-3-5}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co9015745/paper-tape-for-automatic-timing-routine-for-elliott-brothers-405-computer Science Museum (London) archive collection - object No. 2024-716]
• [https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co9015746/information-about-the-automatic-timing-routine-atr-for-the-elliott-brothers-405-computer Science Museum (London) archive collection - object No. 2024-717]
• [https://davidpentecost.com/ David Pentecost website]
• [http://www.discogs.com/artist/10853971-David-Pentecost David Pentecost discography]
• [https://archive.org/details/my-life-in-music-5th-edition-e-book-2025.02.12/page/162/mode/2up?view=theater Index of first lines of music compositions]

{{notelist|refs=

{{efn|name=British_Computer_Society|The British Computer Society certificates given to David Pentecost are reproduced in Pentecost's autobiography: Pentecost, David (2023). MY WORKING LIFE 3rd Edition, (see Bibliography section above), page 18-19. United Kingdom. {{ISBN|978-0-9518719-7-3}}}}

{{efn|name=Elliott_Brothers_offer|The Elliott Brothers offer to David Pentecost is reproduced in Pentecost's autobiography: Pentecost, David (2020). MY WORKING LIFE The story of a 20th century computer programmer, page 8. United Kingdom. {{ISBN|978-0-951-87193-5}}}}

{{efn|name=Previous_sorting_techniques|Download the PDF file: the relevant section on comparative timings is the second paragraph on page 13.}}

{{efn|name=Mills_Associates|The Mills Associates offer to David Pentecost is reproduced in Pentecost's autobiography: Pentecost, David (2020). MY WORKING LIFE The story of a 20th century computer programmer, page 29. United Kingdom. {{ISBN|978-0-951-87193-5}}}}

{{efn|name=Unit_Trust_Services_Ltd|The Unit Trust Services Ltd appointment to David Pentecost is reproduced in Pentecost's autobiography: Pentecost, David (2020). MY WORKING LIFE The story of a 20th century computer programmer, page 47. United Kingdom. {{ISBN|978-0-951-87193-5}}}}

{{efn|name=Surmounting_the_Peaks|The article is reproduced in Pentecost's autobiography: Pentecost, David (2023). MY WORKING LIFE The story of a 20th century computer programmer, pages 34-36. United Kingdom. {{ISBN|978-0-951-87197-3}}}}

{{efn|name=Computer_Weekly|The article is reproduced in Pentecost's autobiography: Pentecost, David (2020). MY WORKING LIFE The story of a 20th century computer programmer, page 46. United Kingdom. {{ISBN|978-0-951-87193-5}}}}

{{efn|name=Financial_Times|The article is reproduced in Pentecost's autobiography: Pentecost, David (2020). MY WORKING LIFE The story of a 20th century computer programmer, page 45. United Kingdom. {{ISBN|978-0-951-87193-5}}}}

{{efn|name=Office_Automation_System|The Office Automation System brochure, produced by Burroughs Corporation, is reproduced in Pentecost's autobiography: Pentecost, David (2020). MY WORKING LIFE The story of a 20th century computer programmer, pages 61–65. United Kingdom. {{ISBN|978-0-951-87193-5}}}}

{{efn|name=Pentecost_was_asked|The Computer Conservation Society's letter of authorisation is reproduced in Pentecost's autobiography: Pentecost, David (2020). MY WORKING LIFE The story of a 20th century computer programmer, page 87. United Kingdom. {{ISBN|978-0-951-87193-5}}}}

{{efn|name=Accepted_Chopin_Society|A photocopy of the list of new members is reproduced in Pentecost's autobiography: Pentecost, David (2023). My Life In Music, (4th edition) page 35. Cyprus. {{ISBN|978-9925-8045-1-1}}}}

{{efn|name=Piano_Compositions|Pentecost's music programmes are reproduced in his autobiography: Pentecost, David (2023). My Life In Music, (4th edition) pages 37–42. Cyprus. {{ISBN| 978-9925-8045-1-1}}}}

{{efn|name=Pianists_Circles|The newspaper article about Pentecost's Pianists’ Circles is reproduced in his autobiography: Pentecost, David (2023). My Life In Music, (4th edition) page 85. Cyprus. {{ISBN|978-9925-8045-1-1}}}}

{{efn|name=First_Prize|The diploma is reproduced in Pentecost's autobiography: Pentecost, David (2023). My Life In Music, (4th edition) page 82. Cyprus. {{ISBN|978-9925-8045-1-1}}}}

}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pentecost, David}}

Category:Alumni of Brunel University London

Category:1940 births

Category:Living people

Category:British emigrants to Cyprus

Category:British computer specialists

Category:Members of the British Computer Society

Category:Fellows of the British Computer Society

Category:English organists

Category:British male organists

Category:21st-century British classical composers

Category:21st-century British male musicians

Category:English male classical composers

Category:People educated at Christ's College, Finchley