BERKELEY, Lennox
b Boars Hill, near Oxford, 12 May 1903
d London 26 December 1989 aged eighty-six
website

He was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, in Norfolk, then at Merton College, Oxford. Through meeting Ravel he studied in Paris with Nadia Boulanger from 1927 to 1932, becoming friendly with Poulenc, Stravinsky, Milhaud, Honegger and Roussel. From 1942 to 1945 he was on the staff of the BBC Music Department. He became president of the Performing Right Society, was awarded the CBE in 1957 and was knighted in 1974. He was professor of composition at the Royal Academy from 1946 to 1968, his pupils including Nicholas Maw, Richard Rodney Bennett, David Bedford and John Tavener. His honours and awards include: Collard Fellowship, 1946; Cobbett Medal, 1962; Ordre de Merite Cultural, Monaco, 1967; Composers' Guild Composer of the Year, 1973, and the Papal Knighthood of St Gregory in the same year; Hon Fellow of Merton College, 1974; and Hon Professor, University of Keele and Hon Fellowship of the Royal Northern College of Music, 1975.
1925 (22)
'The Thresher', for medium voice and piano
c1933 (c30)
Violin Sonata No 2
1934 (31)
Polka for piano
Three pieces for two pianos (Polka, Nocturne, Capriccio)
(1934 8)
1935 (32)
Jonah, oratorio
Overture for orchestra
String Quartet No 1
'How Love Came In', for medium voice and piano
Etude, Berçeuse and Capriccio, for piano
1936 (33)
Five Short Pieces for piano
1937 (34)
Domini est terra for chorus and orchestra
Mont Juic suite of Catalan Dances, for orchestra (with Britten qv)
1938 (35)
The Judgement of Paris, ballet
Introduction and Allegro for two pianos and orchestra
1939 (36)
Serenade for string orchestra
Five Songs for solo voice and piano (1939 40)
1940 (37)
Symphony No 1
Sonatina for recorder (flute)
and piano
Four Concert Studies, Set 1, for piano
Five Housman Songs for tenor and piano
1942 (39)
String Quartet No 2
Sonatina for violin and piano
1943 (40)
Divertimento for orchestra
String Trio
1944 (41)
'Lord, when the Sense of Thy sweet Grace', for mixed choir and organ
1945 (42)
Piano Sonata
Violin Sonata
Six Preludes for piano
Festival Anthem, for mixed choir and organ
1946 (43)
Introduction and Allegro for solo violin
Nocturne for orchestra
Five Songs (de la Mare)
for high voice and piano
1947 (44)
Piano Concerto
Four Poems of St Teresa of Avila for contralto and strings
Stabat Mater, for six solo voices and twelve instruments
'The Lowlands of Holland', for low voice and piano
1948 (45)
Concerto for two pianos and orchestra
1949 (46)
Colonus' Praise, for chorus and orchestra
Three Mazurkas for piano
Scherzo for piano
1950 (47)
Sinfonietta for orchestra
Elegy for violin and piano
Toccata for violin and piano
Theme and Variations for solo violin
1951 (48)
Gibbons Variations, for tenor, chorus, strings and organ
Three Greek Songs for medium voice and piano
1952 (49)
Flute Concerto
Four Ronsard Sonnets, Set 1, for two tenors and piano
1953 (50)
Suite for orchestra
c1954 (c51)
A Dinner Engagement, opera in one act
Nelson, opera in three acts
Trio for violin, horn and piano
Sonatina for piano duet
1955 (52)
Concerto for flute, violin, cello and harpsichord (or piano)
Suite from Nelson, for orchestra
Sextet for clarinet, horn and string quartet
Crux fidelis, for tenor and mixed choir
Salve regina, for unison voices and organ
Look up Sweet Babe, for soprano and mixed choir
Concert Study in Eb for piano
1956 (53)
Ruth, opera in three scenes
1957 (54)
Sonatina for guitar
'Sweet was the Song', for mixed choir and organ
1958 (55)
Concerto for piano and double string orchestra
Five Poems of W. H. Auden, for medium voice and piano
1959 (56)
Overture for light orchestra
Sonatina for two pianos
'So Sweet Love Seemed', for medium voice and piano
1960 (57)
A Winter's Tale, suite for orchestra
Improvisation on a Theme of Falla, for piano
Prelude and Fugue for clavichord
Missa Brevis, for mixed choir and organ
'Thou hast made me', for mixed choir and organ
1961 (58)
Concerto for violin and chamber orchestra
Five Pieces for violin and orchestra
1962 (59)
Sonatina for oboe and piano
Batter my Heart, for soprano, mixed choir, organ and chamber orchestra
'Autumn's Legacy', for high voice and piano
1963 (60)
Four Ronsard Sonnets - Set 2, for tenor and orchestra
Justorum Animae, for mixed choir
'Counting the Beats', for high voice and piano
'Automne', for medium voice and piano
1964 (61)
Diversions, for eight instruments
'Songs of the Half-light', for high voice and guitar
Mass for five voices
1965 (62)
Partita for chamber orchestra
Three Songs for four male voices
1966-8 (63-5)
Three Pieces for organ
1967 (64)
Castaway, opera in one act
Signs in the Dark, for mixed choir and strings
Oboe Quartet
Nocturne for harp
1968 (65)
'The Windhover', for mixed choir
Theme and Variations for piano duet
1969 (66)
Symphony No 3
Windsor Variations, for piano duet
1970 (67)
Dialogues, for cello and chamber orchestra
String Quartet No 3
Theme and Variations for guitar
1971 (68)
Palm Court Waltz, for orchestra/piano duet
In Memoriam Igor Stravinsky, for string quartet
'Duo', for cello and piano
Introduction and Allegro for double-bass and piano
'Chinese Songs', for medium voice and piano
1972 (69)
Four Concert Studies, Set II, for piano
Three Latin Motets for five-part choir
'Hymn for Shakespeare's Birthday', for mixed choir and organ
1973 (70)
Sinfonia Concertante for oboe and orchestra
Antiphon, for string orchestra
Voices of the Night, for orchestra
1974 (71)
Suite for strings
Guitar Concerto
'Herrick Songs' for high voices and harp
1975 (72)
Quintet for piano and wind
The Lord is my Shepherd, choral
The Hill of the Graces, choral
1976 (73)
Fantaisie for organ
1981 (78)
Bagatelles for two pianos
1982 (79)
Mazurka for piano
Sonnet for high voice and piano
Faldon Park, opera