A year without Harry
OrchestrasHarrison Birtwistle left us a year ago today.
Inimitable and irreplaceable.
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Charles de Gaulle once said that cemeteries are full of irreplaceable people.
I’ve listened to Birtwistle’s music with enjoyment and at times trepidation for many years. He was one of those rare composers who always knew what kind of music he wanted to write and he did so, regardless of the fashion of the day. I already miss the excitement of new works from his pen.
Absolutely. So many great pieces. I was privileged to be a colleague when he was the Henry Purcell Professor of Composition at King’s College, London. Always considerate, supportive and kind, and he never uttered a banal or unconsidered word. A life well-lived.
Thanks for your moving words