Dates

• Existence: 1932 - 2007

biographical statement

Citation:

Guardian.co.uk, website viewed March 16, 2011 (co-founder of the UK Harp Association; born September 19, 1932; d. February 4, 2007; marriage to the musician Sue Farrow ended in divorce;had no children; composed music for the harp, combinations of chamber music, two works for string quartet; born in Derby England; took piano lessons at a young age; discovered the harp for himself; local teacher; first harp lesson at 17; accepted into the Royal College of Music, London; studied with Marie Goossens which was the turning point in career as a harpist; became principal harp for the London Symphony Orchestra; 2 years later quit because of the disputes between himself and the conductor Antal Dorati; next thirty years he was performing with Stravinsky, Sinatra, Boulez, the Beatles, Copland, Chaplin, Malcolm Arnold, Julie Andrews, and English Chamber Orchestra, the London Sinfonietta, the Derek New Sextet and the Laurie Johnson Big Band; 1964 co-founder of the UK Harp Association edited their magazine for many years; 1982, rejoined a symphony orchestra; became principal harp of the BBC Symphony Orchestra; second principal harp in the history of the orchestra; wrote Book of the Harp (2005), a charming ragbag of little known facts, serious scholarship, pleasant anecdotes, and witty, perceptive observation; wrote The Complete Guide to Harp Glissandi, analysing all 2,187 possible pedal settings)

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