George Lloyd

British composer George Lloyd was born into a musical family with Welsh and American ancestry in St Ives, Cornwall on 28 June 1913. He was ill as a child and his education took place mostly at home. He began composing aged nine. He began studying composition with Harry Farjeon and Frank Kitson from the age of fourteen. He studied at Trinity College in London.

At nineteen he wrote his first symphony, and this received two performances, in 1932 and 1933. He wrote two more symphonies soon afterwards, and his first opera, Iernin, was performed in Penzance and London, where it had a long run. A second opera, The Serf, was staged at Covent Garden in 1938.

Lloyd served with the Royal Marines in World War II and was a casualty in an accident on board HMS Trinidad, where he escaped but suffered severe mental and physical trauma.  He was able to begin composing again four years later.

His musical style was melodic, tonal and late romantic, and because of this, his output was ignored by organisations such as the BBC, but began to be noticed again from the 1970s onwards.

By the time George Lloyd died in London on 3 July 1998, aged eighty-five, almost all of his orchestral music had been recorded.

His output included twelve symphonies, five works for brass band, four piano concertos, three operas (with libretti by his father), two violin concertos, a cello concerto, Forest of Arden for wind band, plus choral and chamber music.

Further information: georgelloyd.com

 

A selection of articles about George Lloyd

Spotlight. In the Shadow of War - Geoff Pearce listens to piano concertos by British composer George Lloyd. '... there is much to be gained from this set ...'