Integrity never guarantees popularity. But it may get you a mention on Classic Ross Amico on your centenary.
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of English composer Robert Simpson. A conscientious objector during World War II, Simpson served in a mobile surgical unit during the London Blitz. On the side, he studied composition with Herbert Howells. Eventually music got the upper hand, and Simpson abandoned medicine. He did, however, become a doctor – a Doctor of Music – on graduation from Durham University.
In 1951, he joined the staff of the British Broadcasting Corporation. There, he became one of the organization’s most-respected producers. He would remain with the BBC for the better part of three decades. When corporate meddling began to erode the quality of broadcast in the late ‘70s, Simpson was among those who protested the loudest. He clashed with management, went to the press, and ultimately resigned, only months before he would have been eligible to retire with full pension. (Ah, the world of radio. I know it well.)
That kind of integrity is also reflected in his music, which includes 11 expertly-crafted symphonies and 15 string quartets. Simpson’s music has always had his admirers. Unusually for a living composer, a Robert Simpson Society was formed in 1980, with the aim of promoting his work.
Simpson himself greatly respected Beethoven, Bruckner, Nielsen, and Sibelius. He gave insightful talks on their music and added to their scholarship. As a producer, he was an active champion of the works of Havergal Brian, the eccentric autodidact who wrote 32 symphonies – 20 of them after the age of 80. In particular, Simpson supervised the historic Proms broadcast of Brian’s Symphony No. 1, the “Gothic,” frequently cited as the largest symphony ever composed.
In 1956, Simpson was awarded a Carl Nielsen Gold Medal. In 1963, he received a Medal of Honor from the Bruckner Society of America. Unusual for an amateur, he was also made a Fellow of the British Astronomical Association. (Astronomy was another one of Simpson’s great passions.) He refused an appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1980.
In 1986, he moved to Ireland. There, he lived on Tralee Bay in Kerry. Five years later, while on a lecture tour, he suffered a severe stroke which left him in debilitating pain for the remaining six years of his life. He died in 1997.
Most of his major works have been documented on the Hyperion label, the symphonies conducted by Vernon Handley. His music has also been recorded by Sir Adrian Boult, Jascha Horenstein, William Boughton, and Rafael Wallfisch.
The Fourth Symphony is as good an introduction as any, with a scherzo transparently modeled after its counterpart in Beethoven’s 9th. Further, the overall tone of the work strikes me as buoyant and optimistic. I hope you enjoy it. It’s not background music, but it is rewarding.
The Symphony No. 4:
To sample just the Scherzo:
Simpson talks about Carl Nielsen:
Simpson interviewed by Bruce Duffie:
http://www.bruceduffie.com/simpson.html
The Robert Simpson Society:
A lifetime of integrity counts for something. But it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the compositional chops to back it up. Happy birthday, Robert Simpson.
