Mourning for an English artist who was also a composer

The multidisciplinary artist Tom Phillips died peacefully yesterday at his studio in Peckham, South London, at the age of 85.

A Royal Academician who was best known for long-running projects. of which the longest was A Humument, adapted from a Victorian novel. But he was always an active musician, working with the likes of Brian Eno, Howard Skempton and Harrison Birtwistle, and singing Brahms in spare moments. His visual works include a suite of paintings titled Ein Deutsches Requiem: After Brahms.

He composed an opera, Irma, and many small pieces, some of which were collected on a 1992 Largo recording.

Tom was a polymath, a fine writer, and a true original.

He was married for the last 27 years to the music critic Fiona Maddocks.

May he rest in peace.