Recollects his friend, Patrick Jonathan, of composer Richard Arnell, “He loved the ladies, and the ladies loved him. When he was in his late sixties I would sit in on his classes at LIFS (London International Film School) and then we’d go and have a ‘liquid lunch’ at a drinking club in Covent Garden called the Seven Dials. At this stage he wasn’t in the best shape… but he still had tremendous charisma and a stately bearing that made him stand out in a crowd.
“One lunchtime we were drinking at this club and an older lady was working the tables, clearing up and cleaning up. She came to our table and asked Tony if he was empty. He didn’t understand and asked her to explain. She said she wanted to know if he was empty because she’d been told that she should go and pick up the empties!
“Even at that age, he still had it…”
I think you’ll agree, even now, Arnell still has it. Tune in this Thursday morning for a mini-marathon of his equally charismatic, though puzzlingly neglected music.
At 8:00, I’ll be joined by Warren Cohen, music director of the MusicaNova Orchestra and champion of deserving though lesser-heard repertoire, who will help celebrate this outstanding English composer. Arnell flourished in the 1940s and ‘50s, before falling into relative obscurity. Even with the recorded revival of his symphonies in the 2000s, he still can’t truthfully be said to be a household name. Here’s hoping his centenary brings him further recognition.
We’ve got an arsenal of Arnell, all cued-up and ready to go, this Thursday morning from 6 to 11 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and wprb.com. I hope you’ll join me for an English breakfast, on Classic Ross Amico.