21.10.1921 – 23.9.2006
Sir Malcolm Arnold was a British composer and trumpeter.
Malcolm Arnold was born in Northampton to a family of shoemakers. As a rebellious teenager, he was attracted to the creative freedom of jazz. After seeing Louis Armstrong play in Bournemouth, he took up the trumpet at the age of 12 and 5 years later won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music (RCM). At the RCM he studied composition with Gordon Jacob and the trumpet with Ernest Hall. In 1941, he joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra as second trumpet and became principal trumpet in 1943.
In 1944, he volunteered for military service, but after he found out the army wanted to put him in a military band, he shot himself in the foot to get back to civilian life. After a season as principal trumpet with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, he returned to the London Philharmonic in 1946 where he remained until 1948 to become a full-time composer.
Malcolm Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, by age thirty his life was devoted to composition. He was bracketed with Britten and Walton as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain. His natural melodic gift earned him a reputation as a composer of light music in works such as his sets of Welsh, English, Scottish, Irish and Cornish Dances, and his scores to the St Trinian’s films and Hobson’s Choice. Arnold was a relatively conservative composer of tonal works, but a prolific and popular one. He acknowledged Hector Berlioz as an influence, and several commentators have drawn a comparison with Jean Sibelius.
He was knighted in 1993 for his service to music. He received honorary doctorates from the University of Exeter (1969), University of Durham (1982), University of Leicester (1984), Miami University of Ohio (1989), University of Winchester (1983), and the University of Northampton (2006).
https://www.windrep.org/Malcolm_Arnold
In September 1973 Jack was invited by Ivor Meddleton to be an artist on the second Churchill Fellows’ L.P. recording. The artist was asked to donate their time, to be recorded at the closest A.B.C. studio and the cost of the accompanist covered by The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.
Jack replied that he would be happy to contribute.
“Listed below are three pieces, any one of which would be suitable and I will leave the final choice in your hands:-
“Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra” by Malcolm Arnold – my reasons for including this work is that I am performing this piece of music with the W.A. Symphony Orchestra during the month of November and the A.B.C. has agreed to allow a recording to be made for the Churchill Trust. Another reason is that there is, to my knowledge, no commercial recording of this concerto. As I will be concentrating on this piece for the next six weeks, I would naturally favour it as my choice.”
| 11.11.1973 | Malcolm Arnold Clarinet Concerto (1949) AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | Jack Harrison (clarinet) David Measham (conductor) West Australian Symphony Orchestra | Perth Concert Hall |
On November 11th 1973 clarinettist Jack Harrison performed the Australian Premiere of Malcolm Arnold’s Clarinet Concerto with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Measham directed by the A.B.C. in a free concert in the Perth Concert Hall.