Death of a doyen British composer
RIPFellow-composers are reporting the death yesterday of Anthony Gilbert, a quiet, prolific and widely admired maker of music. He was a few days short of 89.
Gilbert wrote two operas – The Scene-Machine (1970) and The Chakravaka-Bird (1977, for BBC Radio) – as well as a symphony, a violin concerto and five string quartets. He worked for many years at his publisher, Schott.
His students include Martin Butler, Simon Holt, Sally Beamish and Tim Benjamin.
He once wrote: ‘Composition for me is a compulsion. Since my youth, I’ve heard so much really bad music forced upon the helpless listener that by my early twenties the need to at least provide an alternative became overwhelming. I’m not aiming to compete with the mighty composers of our time – it’s composition, not competition, that drives my imagination. Nor, despite accusations I’ve heard levelled against composers of my approach, should I be regarded as ‘elitist’. There is nothing wrong with trying to set high standards, or to challenge, in any of the arts. A further accusation, of course, is of ‘amateurism’, because like many other composers in my field I compose whether commissioned to do so or not. I flatly refute this accusation; my approach to composition is completely professional at every level. Further, unlike some colleagues, I do not respond to unpaid ‘commissions’.’
Anthony was on the staff of composition at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester when I was there in the late 70s. A very nice, unassuming man who wrote well and whom I got to know simply from singing some of his stuff at the time as a student. May he rest in peace.
A sad day. I knew Tony for 45 years and he was a great friend from the moment I first met him as a schoolboy seeking out composition lessons to recently at a concert at the RNCM where he had an orchestral piece played. He gave me sound, serious advice which I could trust implicitly thanks to his considerable, personal integrity and was always extremely supportive. He’ll be sorely missed indeed.
As a composer Tony had a massive and unshakeable integrity that refused to be moved. I knew him off and on since I was a teenager and last saw him for lunch at his local pub back in September last year. Over the years, he was always a quiet, yet staunch supporter. R.I.P Tony and bless you for your music.