BLISS, Arthur
b London, 2 August 1891
d London, 27 March 1975, aged eighty-three

His father was American. He was educated at Rugby and at Pembroke College. Cambridge. In 1914 he attended the Royal College of Music for one term, studying under Stanford, Vaughan Williams and Holst. He obtained an Army commission, served in France, was wounded on the Somme in 1916, gassed at Cambrai in 1918, and mentioned in dispatches. In 1923 he went to Santa Barbara, California, where he lived for two years and married; he made his second visit to America in 1939. In 1941 he worked in the Overseas Music Service of the BBC, and was director of music there from 1942 to 1944. He received a knighthood in 1950, and in 1953 was appointed Master of the Queen's Musick in succession to Sir Arnold Bax. He was an honorary MusD of Edinburgh, London, Cambridge and Bristol universities, an honorary LLD of Glasgow, an honorary fellow of Pembroke College, honorary Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians and gold medallist of the Royal Philharmonic Society.
c1915 (c24)
Piano Quartet in A minor
String Quartet in A major
1916 (25)
Two Pieces for clarinet and piano
1918 (27)
Madam Noy, for soprano, flute, clarinet, bassoon, harp, viola and double-bass
1919 (28)
As You Like It, incidental music for two solo violins, viola, cello and singers
Rhapsody, (wordless)
for mezzo-soprano, tenor, flute, English horn, string quartet and double-bass
Piano Quintet (unpublished, MS lost)
1920 (29)
Rout, for soprano and chamber orchestra (revised version for full orchestra written at the invitation of Diaghilev, fp 1921)
Conversations, for chamber orchestra
Two Studies for orchestra
Concerto for piano and tenor voice, strings and percussion (revised 1923; revised as Concerto for two pianos and orchestra, 1924)
1920-1 (29-30)
The Tempest, overture and interludes
1921 (30)
Mêlée fantasque, for orchestra (revised 1965)
A Colour Symphony (1921-2, revised 1932). Movements are headed Purple, Red, Blue and Green, and are interpreted in the light of their heraldic associations
1923 (32)
Ballads of the Four Seasons (Li-Po), for medium voice and piano
String Quartet (1923-4)
(MS lost)
The Women of Yueh (Li-Po), song cycle for voice and chamber ensemble
1924 (33)
Masks I-IV, for piano
1926 (35)
Introduction and Allegro for orchestra (revised 1937)
Hymn to Apollo, for orchestra (revised 1965)
1927 (36)
Four Songs for high voice and violin
Oboe Quintet
1928 (37)
Pastoral: Lie Strewn the White Flocks, for mezzo-soprano, chorus, flute, drums and string orchestra
1929 (38)
Serenade, for baritone and orchestra
1930 (39)
Morning Heroes, symphony for orator, chorus and orchestra
Fanfares for Heroes, for three trumpets, three trombones, timpani and cymbals
1931 (40)
Clarinet Quintet
1933 (42)
Viola Sonata
1934 5 (43- 4)
Things to Come, suite for orchestra from music for the film
1935 (44)
Music for Strings
1936 (45)
Kenilworth Suite, for brass
1937 (46)
Checkmate, ballet
1938 (47)
Piano Concerto
1940 (49)
Seven American Poems, for low voice and piano
1941 (50)
String Quartet in B flat major
1943 (52)
Three Jubilant and Three Solemn Fanfares for three trumpets, three trombones and tuba, or full military band
1944 (53)
Miracle in the Gorbals, ballet
The Phoenix, Homage to France- August 1944, orchestral march
'Auvergnat', for high voice and piano
1945 (54)
Baraza, concert piece for piano and orchestra with men's voices ad lib
1946 (55)
Adam Zero, ballet
1948-9 (57-8)
The Olympians, opera
1950 (59)
String Quartet No 2
1952 (61)
The Enchantress, scena for contralto and orchestra
Piano Sonata
1953 (62)
Processional for full orchestra and organ (composed for performance in Westminster Abbey at the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11)
1954 (63)
A Song of Welcome, for soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra
1955 (64)
Violin Concerto
Meditations on a Theme of John Blow, for orchestra
Elegiac Sonnet, for tenor, string quartet and piano
1956 (65)
Edinburgh Overture, for full orchestra
1957 (66)
Discourse, for orchestra (recomposed 1965)
1958 (67)
The Lady of Shalott ballet
1960 (69)
Tobias and the Angel, opera in two acts
1962 (71)
The Beatitudes, cantata for soprano, tenor, chorus, orchestra and organ
1963 (72)
Mary of Magdala, cantata for contralto, bass, chorus and orchestra
Belmont Variations, for brass band
A Knot of Riddles, for baritone and eleven instruments
1964 (73)
Homage to a Great Man (Winston Churchill), march for orchestra
The Golden Cantata, for tenor, mixed chorus and orchestra
1966 (75)
Fanfare Prelude for orchestra
1967 (76)
River Music, for unaccompanied choir
1969 (78)
The World is Charged with the Grandeur of God, for chorus and wind instruments
Angels of the Mind, song cycle for soprano and piano
Miniature Scherzo for piano
1970 (79)
Cello Concerto
1971 (80)
Two Ballads for women's chorus and small orchestra
Triptych, for piano
1972 (81)
Three Songs for voice and piano
Metamorphic Variations, for orchestra
1974 (83)
Prelude 'Lancaster', for orchestra
1975 (84)
Shield of Faith, cantata for soprano, baritone, chorus and organ