Neville Marriner, 100 today

Neville arrived late for lunch at our favourite Kensington restaurant. He was carrying  a battered briefcase and I asked what was in it.

He pulled out a Walton score, symphony or concerto – I can’t remember.

‘Not really your sort of thing,’ I demurred. ‘Why are you learning it?’

He was 90 or 91 at the time.

‘A friend asked me, as a favour,’ he said.

One could hardly never say No to Neville. I once discharged myself from hospital to make a recording he was keen on. Here‘s a clip.

Neville Marriner, who did so much good in the world and never harmed another soul, would have been 100 today. Bless his soul.

For those who have forgotten, he made more commercial recordings than any conductor except that Berlin fellow (whom he loathed and admired in equal measure).