Michael Berkeley, son of Sir Lennox, is a well respected figure on the present-day British musical scene. Born in 1948 and educated at Westminster Cathedral Choir School and the Royal Academy of Music (he later studied composition with his father and Richard Rodney Bennett), his considerable output is mainly serious but we can point to a number of shorter pieces in lighter vein. The American Suite for flute (or recorder) and cello (or bassoon), Etude des Fleurs for cello and piano, the guitar solo Worry Beads (1982) and perhaps Flighting for unaccompanied clarinet and The Crocodile and Father William for girls’ choir. His five-movement suite for brass quintet, Music From Chaucer (1981), derives from radio incidental music to The Canterbury Tales. This has its astringent moments but there are also plenty of attractive tunes, notably in the slow waltz second movement, the brief hunting fanfare, which comes third, and the amiable finale.

Robert Cox was active on the English light music al stage in the post 1914-18 era, composing music for several revues (the song The Live Wire from The Punch Bowl was popular) and for two musical comedies: The Love Girl (1920, jointly with the American Ed Horan) and 1923, The Rose and the Ring, which ran for 42 performances at Wyndham’s Theatre.

Philip Scowcroft

Enquiries to Philip at

8 Rowan Mount

DONCASTER

S YORKS DN2 5PJ

Philip's book 'British Light Music Composers' (ISBN 0903413 88 4) is currently out of print.

E-mail enquiries (but NOT orders) can be directed to Rob Barnett at rob.barnett1@btinternet.com

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