Died #OTD in 1964, English composer, George Dyson. His oratorio, The Canterbury Pilgrims, was premiered in Winchester in March 1931 with the composer conducting. open.spotify.com/track/6nCnlf... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1879, English composer, writer, poet & occultist, Cyril Scott. His Cello Concerto (1937) finally received its world premiere & 1st recording in 2007, with Paul Watkins, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra & Martyn Brabbins (Chandos). open.spotify.com/track/4dJPWk... #britsymphyear

Broadcast for the 1st time #OTD in 1956, the Cello Concerto by English composer, Gerald Finzi. The concerto was first aired on the radio on the night before his death on 27 September with Christopher Bunting, Hallé Orchestra & John Barbirolli. open.spotify.com/track/41I33Z... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1896, Spanish-British composer, Roberto Gerhard. His Violin Concerto was premiered in Florence in May 1950, with Catalan violinist Antonio Brosa & Hermann Scherchen conducting. open.spotify.com/track/4Kea2D... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1912, the orchestral suite, The Sea, by English composer, conductor & violist, Frank Bridge (1879–1941). It was launched at the Proms with The New Queen's Hall Orchestra under Henry Wood. open.spotify.com/track/2xBYf7... #britsymphyear

Died #OTD in 2006, English composer, conductor & trumpeter, Malcolm Arnold. His 2nd String Quartet (1975) was commissioned by the Allegri String Quartet, who also gave the world premiere in Dublin Castle in 1976. open.spotify.com/track/43ISsM... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1979, the Second Concerto for Orchestra by English composer & teacher, Robin Holloway (b. 1943). The premiere took place in Glasgow, by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Alexander Gibson. open.spotify.com/track/7ATfH4... #britsymphyear

That rising 4-note phrase for solo clarinet that answers the solo trumpet just before the end is high on my list of the most hauntingly beautiful music I’ve ever played or heard.

Born #OTD in 1874, English composer, Gustav Holst. He considered Egdon Heath (1927) his most perfectly realised composition. The premiere was on 12 Feb 1928 at the Mecca Temple in New York, the New York Symphony Orchestra conducted by Walter Damrosch. open.spotify.com/track/4HrbIG... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1956, English saxophonist & composer, John Harle. His work, The Little Death Machine, was premiered at a late night 2006 BBC Prom by Harle with Orchestra of St John’s under John Lubbock. open.spotify.com/track/6i95ug... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1924, English composer & conductor, Ernest Tomlinson. His Rhapsody & Rondo for horn & orchestra was written in 1956 for Dennis Brain & premiered by him at the Light Music Festival in London’s Royal Festival Hall in 1957. open.spotify.com/track/5vD26T... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD at the 1919 Proms, A Children’s Overture, by British composer, Roger Quilter (1877–1953). Henry Wood conducted the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra. open.spotify.com/track/2VTzLP... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1984, the orchestral work, Orion over Farne, by British composer, John Casken (b. 1949). It was commissioned by Glasgow’s Musica Nova Festival & performed by the Scottish National Orchestra & Matthias Bamert. open.spotify.com/track/6oFrKS... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1995, Panic for alto saxophone, drum kit & orchestra by English composer, Harrison Birtwistle. It took place at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, performed by John Harle (sax), Paul Clarvis (drums), & the BBC SO & Andrew Davis. open.spotify.com/track/35BZYK... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1917, English composer, Richard Arnell. One of his most distinctive works is the ballet, Punch and the Child, composed in the early 1950s, commissioned by Ballet Caravan (later New York City Ballet), to choreography by John Taras. open.spotify.com/track/5XRx58... #britsymphyear

Everything from David Sawer is astonishing and this score, like its Shakespearean source, is full of beguiling equivocation.

Born #OTD in 1961, English composer & teacher, David Sawer. His orchestral work Byrnan Wood (1992), was his 1st large-scale orchestral work. Was commissioned by the BBC Proms, premiered in August 1992 by the BBC Symphony Orchestra & Mark Wigglesworth. open.spotify.com/album/3WMY2H... #britsymphyear

Received its London premiere #OTD in 1910, The Magic Mirror Suite by English composer, William Hurlstone (1876–1906). The performance (at the Proms), 4 years after the composer’s death, helping to bring wider attention to his music. open.spotify.com/track/0P2Z88... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1992, the orchestral version of Hidden Variables by English composer, Colin Matthews (b. 1946). The premiere took place in Gstaad, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under Michael Tilson Thomas. open.spotify.com/track/6WgN3n... #britsymphyear

Died #OTD in 1985, English composer, flautist & teacher, William Alwyn. His Autumn Legend for cor anglais & orchestra was first performed at the Cheltenham Festival on 22 July 1955, by Roger Winfield with the Hallé Orchestra & Sir John Barbirolli. open.spotify.com/track/7qMhta... #britsymphyear

Died #OTD in 1932, British composer & musical director, Percy Fletcher. His An Epic Symphony was commissioned as a test piece for the Championship Section of the 1926 National Brass Band Championships at London's Crystal Palace. open.spotify.com/track/0TlSzB... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1946, British arranger, orchestrator, author, and musicologist Christopher Palmer. His orchestral suite from William Walton’s opera Troilus & Cressida (1947-54) was compiled in 1987 at the request of Lady Walton & Oxford University Press. open.spotify.com/track/5HguVn... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1934, British composer & conductor, Peter Maxwell Davies. His Symphony No 1 (1973/1976), premiered on 2 February 1978 at the Royal Festival Hall, with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by the 23-year-old Simon Rattle. open.spotify.com/track/5k7Ass... #britsymphyear

Herbert Howells's masterpiece, Hymnus Paradisi, was composed partly to deal with his grief for his son, Michael, who died aged 9 from polio in 1935. Polio vaccination started to become available only from 1955 onwards.

Premiered #OTD in 1950, Hymnus Paradisi by English composer & teacher, Herbert Howells. It took place at the Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester Cathedral, with Howells himself conducting. open.spotify.com/album/2V3cCd... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1910, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by English composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams. It took place in Gloucester Cathedral, with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer. open.spotify.com/track/1PG3uM... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1920, English composer & teacher, Peter Racine Fricker’. His 1957 cantata, The Vision of Judgement, for soprano, tenor, chorus & orchestra, was commissioned for the 100th anniversary of the Leeds Festival. open.spotify.com/track/691Ibz... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1989, The Protecting Veil for cello & string orchestra by English composer, John Tavener. It took place at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, with Steven Isserlis as soloist & BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Oliver Knussen. open.spotify.com/track/7jwTDr... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1893, English composer & conductor, Anthony Collins. His Symphony for Strings No 1 (1940), was likely written as part of his personal artistic output during a period of transition from film scoring back to concert music. open.spotify.com/track/5w49vC... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1936, English composer & teacher, David Blake. His Violin Concerto was commissioned by the BBC for the 1976 Proms & premiered at the Royal Albert Hall with soloist Iona Brown, accompanied by the Philharmonia Orchestra under Norman Del Mar. open.spotify.com/track/6AHQXs... #britsymphyear

Died #OTD in 1912, British composer & conductor, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. HIs orchestral Petite Suite de Concert dates from 1910, 2 years beforehand & was an immediate favourite in British concert life & in parlour settings in arranged versions. open.spotify.com/track/7nW0hS... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1962, Nicholas Maw’s Scenes and Arias, a landmark work in British contemporary music, showcasing his distinctive neo-romantic voice. The work was commissioned by the BBC & premiered at the Royal Albert Hall during the Proms. open.spotify.com/track/4UAxo1... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1952, English composer & teacher. Simon Bainbridge. His Fantasia for Double Orchestra was premiered in November 1984, at the Royal Festival Hall, London, by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under John Pritchard. open.spotify.com/track/6MSY6t... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1953, Michael Tippett’s work for string trio & string orchestra, Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli (1953). It was presented at Usher Hall, Edinburgh by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Tippett’s own baton. open.spotify.com/track/7pgoVd... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1969, the orchestral motet, Worldes Blis (1966-69) by Peter Maxwell Davies. It was launched at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the composer's baton. open.spotify.com/track/41X3pm... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1886, English-American composers, Rebecca Clarke. Her Viola Sonata was premiered at Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge’s Berkshire Music Festival in 1919. open.spotify.com/track/5XUflF... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1914, the 2-act opera, The Immortal Hour, by English composer, Rutland Boughton. It launched initially in a piano version at the inaugural Glastonbury Festivals. open.spotify.com/album/2uEYlf... #britsymphyear

Given its US premiere #OTD in 1970, the Concerto for Group & Orchestra by Jon Lord & lyrics by Ian Gillan - both members of Deep Purple. The US date took place at the Hollywood Bowl with Lawrence Foster & the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. open.spotify.com/track/3fR35M... #britsymphyear

Died #OTD in 1976, the English composer, pianist, organist & singer, Michael Head. His song cycle Over the Rim of the Moon (1918-19) was his first published work & sets texts by Irish war poet, Francis Ledwidge - killed in action in 1917. open.spotify.com/track/1Y1UbN... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1945 - 80 years ago, the Symphony No 3 (‘Westmorland’), by English composer Cecil Armstrong Gibbs. It was launched in Manchester in a BBC concert. open.spotify.com/track/60MsNu... #britsymphyear

Performance on 16 November in London: kso.org.uk/event/doreen...

Premiered #OTD in 1990, the orchestral work, The Confession of Isobel Gowdie, by Scottish composer & conductor, James MacMillan. It was performed to huge acclaim by BBC Scottish SO under Jerzy Maksymiuk at a BBC Prom in London’s Royal Albert Hall. open.spotify.com/track/20PQdb... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 2011, No Man’s Land by English composer, Colin Matthews. It was launched at the BBC Proms by soloists Ian Bostridge & Roderick Williams with the City of London Sinfonia conducted by Stephen Layton. open.spotify.com/track/17Yb7L... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1980, the 11th & final symphony (1977-79) by English composer & teacher, Edmund Rubbra. It was given at the BBC Proms by the BBC Northern SO (BBC Philharmonic) & Nicholas Cleobury. open.spotify.com/track/4y2iLJ... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1949, the English composer, arranger & musician, Dave Smith. His piano piece, Number seven’s done a runner, is from his 7th Piano Concert (1999-2004). open.spotify.com/track/2DnzOD... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1938, the Piano Concerto by English composer, pianist & conductor, Benjamin Britten. The original version was launched at the Proms by the 24-year old composer with BBC Symphony Orchestra & Henry Wood. open.spotify.com/track/04eSEp... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1943, the English composer, Edward Cowie. His Concerto for Orchestra was premiered in 1982 by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra & Howard Williams & later at 1983 BBC Proms. open.spotify.com/track/0LFraL... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1970, the Irish composer, Donnacha Dennehy. His Disposable Dissonance for ensemble was originally premiered by Icebreaker (2009-10), then revised for Crash Ensemble who premiered it at the Huddersfield Festival in 2012. open.spotify.com/track/2b6nLv... #britsymphyear

Premiered #OTD in 1973, Grimethorpe Aria for brass band, by the English composer Harrison Birtwistle. It was launched at the Harrogate Festival, with the composer conducting the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. open.spotify.com/track/2VqFqy... #britsymphyear

Born #OTD in 1892, the English composer & pianist Kaikhosru Sorabji. His 35-minute piano work, Gulistān (Nocturne for Piano) dates from 1940. open.spotify.com/track/0E0YdZ... #britsymphyear