The Triumph of Time
A personal celebration by Jack Van Zandt of Harrison Birtwistle on his 90th birthday One day in 1953, Harrison “Harry” Birtwistle travelled with his friends Alexander “Sandy” Goehr and Peter Maxwell “Max” Davies to London from Manchester, where they were fellow...
Only the Notes You Need
Adam Pounds recalls three years of study with Lennox Berkeley A young composer can often feel ‘lost’, and in 1976, while I was studying at the London College of Music and won the composition prize with my Oboe Quartet, I was sufficiently encouraged by this...
Remembering Karel Janovicky
Pianist Joan Taylor remembers Karel Janovicky The Czech composer Karel Janovicky died in London recently at the age of 93. Karel lived in London most of his life, having fled his home country – then Czechoslovakia – in difficult political circumstances, in 1950. Karel...
Sir John Barbirolli: a life story in plaques
Most British musicians are lucky if they are celebrated by just one plaque. But we have found at least three for this famous musician, one of the most important conductors of the 20th century. The first plaque to mark the eminent British conductor and cellist Sir John...