Anthony Milner
'Working in a strongly conservative idiom, but with wide and humane musical interests, Milner has succeeded in bringing an enlightened and refreshing breath of life to the English choral tradition' - Hugh Wood.
'... these fine works cry out for a revival' - Roderic Dunnett.
Born in Bristol on 13 May 1925, the English composer Anthony Milner studied at Douai School, Woolhampton, Berkshire, and then won a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music - piano with Herbert Fryer, theory with R O Morris and composition (studied privately) with Matyas Seiber. He then taught music theory and history at Morley College, London until 1962, and from 1961, was on the RCM staff part-time.
In 1964 he visited the USA for a lecture tour which was to be repeated often in later years. He was composer in residence with Loyola University, New Orleans. In summer 1976 he gave a post-graduate course in twentieth century music at the University of Western Ontario. From 1980-89 he was Principal Lecturer at the RCM.
From 1954-65, as director of the London Cantata Ensemble, he gave the first broadcast performances in the UK of many Buxtehude cantatas, and frequently conducted performances of his own music.
As a catholic composer whose faith touched even his secular music, Milner was rewarded in 1985 by Pope John Paul II with an appointment as a Knight of St Gregory, and has been described as the foremost British catholic composer of his generation. His choral and church music is exquisitely detailed and widely admired for that reason.
Milner died on 22 September 2002 in Spain, where he had spent the last two years of his life.