British Composers who influenced musical life in the 20th century.

[salymap]

I nominate Sir Arthur Bliss. He was Head of Music at the BBC at one point, he worked hard for the Performing Rights Society ,he was Master of the Queens/Kings Music and held many other posts. He wrote film music, successful ballet scores and, I think, worked with the British Council on promoting British works overseas. And esrlier I forgot to mention his work for the Composers'Guild.

I'd be interested to read MBers favourites for all round activity in publishing and performing.

[Ventilhorn]

I nominate Sir Arthur Bliss. He was Head of Music at the BBC at one point, he worked hard for the Performing Rights Society ,he was Master of the Queens/Kings Music and held many other posts. He wrote film music, successful ballet scores and, I think, worked with the British Council on promoting British works overseas.

I'd be interested to read MBers favourites for all round activity in publishing and performing.

Good morning Sal,

For me, in spite of what Sir Arthur Bliss achieved status-wise and the quality of his musical output, I would have to choose Eric Coates as having the most influence upon British Musical appreciation and awareness.

I would also feel that Sir Edward Elgar had a greater influence than Sir Arthur.

VH

[Al R Gando]

Tippett's role in British music can't be underestimated (although it often is). He fought an uphill battle to reshape what opera and oratorio can be. He also did a great deal to promote earlier British composers like Purcell... there's a story about him being arrested by Air Raid Wardens, as he chased after sheaves of Purcell manuscripts that had been blown up by German bombs.

[Serial_Apologist]

As initial prime movers, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst: for their bringing to public attention our musical folk traditions and incorporating them in sublimated forms in symphonic works to rival those of any other country in the 20th century; for their educational and communitarian work: Holst among the underprivileged at Morley College, especially; and VW through such as the Leith Hill Festival.

All else (M. Tippett, Bush, Maxwell Davies, Michael Garrick in jazz educational work in schools, Maggie Nicols's sterling work with women) stems from them, I guess.

S-A

[MrGongGong]

I would nominate Richard Steinitz
not for his compositional output but for the vision to start the Huddersfield Festival

and Trevor Wishart who's influence has been immense

[Chris Newman]

Tippett's role in British music can't be underestimated (although it often is). He fought an uphill battle to reshape what opera and oratorio can be. He also did a great deal to promote earlier British composers like Purcell... there's a story about him being arrested by Air Raid Wardens, as he chased after sheaves of Purcell manuscripts that had been blown up by German bombs.

I too second Michael Tippett. He preserved Morley College thus giving us many later composers and performers including the Hoffnung Concerts. He resurrected the music of Charles Ives, Thomas Tallis and Henry Purcell from almost total obcurity (the latter was only known for "Nymphs and Sheperherds") and brought British Youth Orchestras into the twentieth century. Not only that he was a good composer.