Tony Arnell
Richard Anthony Sayer Arnell, Tony to his friends, is considered by many as Britain's leading living symphonist.
His works include 6 Symphonies, 6 String Quartets, numerous film scores, ballets and books. He has been and continues to be an educator and mentor to many younger composers and musicians. Listen to extract from 4th Symphony..
His score for 'Punch and the Child' was recorded by Sir Thomas Beecham with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and has seldom been out of the catalogue. Beecham once described Arnell as "one of the best orchestraters since Berlioz.."
"Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Smetana, and Schoenberg were in Arnell-like command of the genre's textural variety and contrasts." ... Hans Keller, 28th May 1983 - writing about Arnell's 5th String Quartet.
From 1943-1946, during one of Arnell's American sojourns, he acted as Music Consultant to the BBC’s North American Service. Among the many prestigious commissions Arnell received during these years was one to compose a ‘Ceremonial and Flourish’ for brass to mark the occasion of Sir Winston Churchill’s visit to Columbia University, in 1946.
He once stepped in to conduct one of his ballets at short notice, only to discover that Charlie Chaplin was in the audience.. Arnell went on to conduct many of his own works, the last occasion being in 1989 in YorkMinster, where he conducted his Symphony No4.
Upon Arnell’s return to England in the 1940s, he became a teacher of composition at Trinity College, London, and he remained a member of staff there until his retirement in the 1980s.
Arnell is currently living in a Musicians’ Benevolent home in Kent, and continues to compose even into his ninetieth year.
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