Biography

‘There’s a lot in this chap’ William Walton (1902-1983)

Michael Kennedy, critic & biographer. The text on this page, has been taken from “Walton – A Celebration – 2002″, published by William Walton Trust, March 2000. A comprehensive guide to Walton at the Centenary of his birth: the man, his music and the development of his legacy.

William Walton is one of the three indisputable leaders of the first generation of 20th century British composers, together with Michael Tippett (three years younger) and Benjamin Britten (eleven years younger). Their immediate musical forbears were Vaughan Williams (b 1872) and Holst (b 1874) and all were contemporary with Edward Elgar (b 1857) who lived until 1934. Of these illustrious names, Walton was the closest in style and temperament to Elgar and his personal background was remarkably similar. Both were born in provincial towns to lower middle class parents and both had no formal musical education at a college or academy. But Walton achieved fame earlier in his life.

William Turner Walton was born on 29 March 1902 at 93, Werneth Hall Road, Oldham, Lancashire. His father Charles Walton had been one of the first intake in 1893 at the new Royal Manchester College of Music, where he was a bass-baritone pupil of Andrew Black, who, five years later, was to create the title-part in Elgar’s Caractacus. Charles became organist and choirmaster at St John’s Church, Werneth, for 21 years and also taught singing and the organ elsewhere. His wife, Louisa Maria Turner, was a good amateur contralto. William and his elder brother sang in the St John’s Choir. William also learned to play the piano and (for a brief time) the violin. His musical talent was obvious and when he was ten he was entered for a voice trial for probationer choristers at Christ Church Cathedral School, Oxford. Although he arrived late because of a missed train, his mother pleaded for him to be heard and the organist, Dr H.G.Ley, accepted him after he sang Marcello’s ‘O Lord Our Governor’. So William exchanged the ‘nightmare’ of a board school in Oldham for an Oxford boarding-school where his first term was made ‘odious’ for him because of his Lancashire accent, which he later learned to conceal (although never entirely).

Walton was at the choir school from 1912 to 1918. When war was declared in 1914, Charles Walton’s singing pupils declined in number and William would have been brought home to become an office-boy or to work as a clerk in a cotton-mill if Dr Thomas Strong, Dean of Christ Church, had not himself paid the balance of the school fees not met by the scholarship. Dr. Strong was a firm believer in the boy’s talent. Walton was by then composing anthems and songs, some of which Strong showed to Sir Hubert Parry who remarked: ‘There’s a lot in this chap, you must keep an eye on him!’ Walton’s version of why he started composing was ‘I must make myself interesting somehow or when my voice breaks, I’ll be sent home to Oldham’. His musical education at Oxford was supervised by Hugh Allen, then organist of New College and later professor of music at Oxford University and Director of the Royal College of Music. Through Allen and Strong he was introduced to the music of Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Ravel, Debussy and Prokofiev, the avant-garde of the time. He passed the first half of his Bachelor of Music exam in June 1918, but failed the exam called Responsions at three attempts in 1919. He passed the second part of his B. Mus. in June 1920 (and received the honorary degree of Doctor of Music in 1941). His musical education had continued in the holidays at Oldham: his father took him to Hallé concerts in Manchester and he attended performances of Sir Thomas Beecham’s famous opera seasons in Manchester in 1916 and 1917.

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Discography

• A Litany
  Collegium COLCD 113
  Cambridge Singers / John Rutter Incl. works by Howells / Philips / Stanford / Rutter / Elgar / Taverner / Morley / Amner / Bairstow
• A Litany
  Guild GMCD 7126
  Choir of Belfast Cathedral/David Drinkell/ Ian Barber incl works by Darke/Howells/ Thalben – Ball/ Bainton/ Gregory/ Whitlock/ Ley/Byrd
• A Litany
  Hyperion CDA 67087
  Choir of St Pauls Cathedral/John Scott/Huw Williams incl works by Stanford/Goss/Sumsion/Rutter/Bairstow/ Parry/Attwood/Leighton/Howells/Britten/ Lewis/Wood/Moore
• A Litany
  Priory PRCD 362
  Choir of Wells Cathedral/Anthony Crossland/Andrew Nethsingha incl works by Tallis/ Weelkes/ Bairstow/ Ingegneri/ Dering King John of Portugal/ Lotti/ Carol/ Ley Walford-Davies/ Byrd/ Philips/ Stanford/ Elgar
• A Queens Fanfare/ In honour of the City of London/ Crown Imperial/ Anniversary Fanfare/ Orb and Scep
  Chandos CHAN 8998
  Philharmonia Orchestra/ Bach Choir/David Willcocks
• All this time
  Priory PRCD 603
  Choir of York Minster/Philip Moore/ John Scott Whitely incl works by Shepherd/ Woodward/ Rubbra/ Vann/ Gauntlett/ Moore/ Joubert/ Howells/ Mendelssohn
• As You Like It
  Chandos CHAN 7401
  A poem for orchestra after Shakespeare/ Henry V A Shakespeare Scenario/ Hamlet A Sha
• Battle of Britain
  DVD:MGM 10001024 MZ1
  Special Edition MGM DVD Battle of Britain, incl restored William Walton Score in 5.1 Surround Sound
• Belshazzars Feast
  Sony Classical SBK 63039
  Rutgers University Choir/ Philadelphia Orchestra/ Eugene Ormandy/ Walter Cassel/ Jennie Tourel/ New York Philharmonic Orchestra/ Leonard Bernstein incl works by Mahler
• Belshazzars Feast
  Telarc CD 80181
  Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/Robert Shaw incl works by Bernstein
• Belshazzars Feast/ Coronation Te Deum/ Gloria
  Chandos CHAN 8760
  Philharmonia Orchestra/ Bach Choir/ David Willcocks/ Ameral Gunson/ Gwynne Howell/ Neil Mackie/ Stephen Roberts/ John Scott
• Belshazzars Feast/ Henry V/ Crown Imperial
  Decca 448 134-2
  Bryn Terfel/ The Choir of Winchester Cathedral/ Waynflete Singers/ Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/ Andrew Litton
• Belshazzars Feast/ In honour of the City of London
  Eminence CDEMX 2225
  David Wilson-Johnson/London Symphony Orchestra/London Symphony Chorus/Richard Hickox
• Belshazzars Feast/ Portsmouth Point/ Scapino/ Improvisations on a Theme of Benjamin Britten
  EMI Classics CDM 764723 2
  Shirley-Quirk/LSO & Chorus/Previn
• Belshazzars Feast/ Suite from Henry V
  IMP Classics 30367 01802
  RPO /Ben Luxon/ Brighton Festival Chorus/ Collegium Musicum of London/ Laslo Heltay/ Andre Previn
• Belshazzars Feast/ Symphony No. 1
  EMI Classics CDC 556592 2
  Cleveland Orchestra Chorus/CBSO & Chorus/Rattle
• Capriccio Burlesco/ Music for Children/ Portsmouth Point/ The Quest/ Scapino/ Siesta/ Sinfonia Conce
  Lyrita SRCD 224
  William Walton/ LSO/ LPO/Peter Katin
• Cello Concerto
  Philips 454 442-2
  Julian Lloyd Webber/Sir Neville Marriner/ ASMF. incl works by Britten
• Cello Concerto
  RCA Red Seal 09026 61695 2
  Janos Starker/Philharmonia Orchestra/Leonard Slatkin incl works by Elgar/Delius
• Cello Concerto/ Improvisations on an Impromptu by Benjamin Britten/ Passacaglia for solo cello/ Part
  Ralph Wallfisch/ London Philharmonic/ Bryden Thomson
  Chandos CHAN 8959
• Christopher Columbus – suite/ Songs after Edith Sitwell/ Anon in Love/ A Song for the Lord Mayors Ta
  Chandos CHAN 8824
  Arthur Davies/ James Oxley/ Jill Gomez/ Linda Finnie/ Martyn Hill/ Patricia Forbes/ Peter Harvey/ Ruth Gleave/ Simon Gay/ Westminster Singers/ City of London Sinfonia/ Richard Hickox
• Complete Songs
  Etcetera KTC 1140
  Yvonne Walton/Malcolm Martineau incl works by Lambert
• Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
  RCA Red Seal 09026 63292 2
  Yuri Bashmet/London Symphony Orchestra/Andre Previn/Neeme Jarvi incl works by Bruch
• Concerto for Viola and Orchestra/ Sonata for String Orchestra/ Variations on a theme by Hindemith
  Chandos CHAN 9106
  London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Jan Latham-Koenig/Nobuko Imai
• Concerto for Violin and Orchestra/ Sonata for Violin and Orchestra/ Two pieces for Violin and Orches
  Chandos CHAN 9073
  London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Jan Latham-Koenig/Lydia Mordkovitch
• Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra
  Sony Classical SMK 53333
  London Symphony Orchestra/ Andre Previn/Yo-Yo Ma incl works by Elgar
• Coronation Te Deum/ Set me as a seal upon thine heart/ Jubilate Deo/ Four Christmas carols/ The Twel
  Chandos CHAN 9222
  Andrew Lumsden/Paul Spicer/Finzi Singers
• Crown Imperial
  Beulah 2PD 12
  BBC Symphony Orchestra/ Sir Adrian Boult incl works by Holst/ Vaughan Williams/ Tallis
• Crown Imperial
  Naxos 8.554445
  Various incl works by Ireland/ Britten/ Jenkins/ Grainger/ Byrd/ Delius/ Arnold/ MacMillan/ Elgar/ Pearsall/ Holst/ Purcell/ Vaughan Williams
• Crown Imperial (arr. for organ by Herbert Murrill)
  Melcot Music MCTCD 011
  Carol Williams incl works by Widor/ Vierne/ Mendelssohn
• Crown Imperial/ Henry V – Suite/Two pieces for manuals (from Music for Children)/ Prologue (from a W
  Priory PRCD 591
  Robert Gower, Organ incl works by Finzi
• Crown Imperial/Orb and Sceptre
  Naxos 8.553981
  English Northern Philharmonia /Leeds Festival Chorus/ Paul Daniel incl works by Arnold/ Elgar/ Parry /Wood
• Elegy (from incidental music to Richard III)
  Regent REGCD127
  Choirs of Sheffield Cathedral/ Simon Lole /Christopher Betts/ Peter Heginbothamincl works by Howells/ Parry/ Dyson/ Lole/ Moore/ Shepherd/ Long/ Beatty/ Britten/ Harrison/ Cole Orchestra
• Fade
  Arabesque Z 6699
  Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center/ David Shifrin/ Lynn Redgrave
• Fade
  Claremont Records CDGSE 785065
  Chamber Orchestra/ William Walton/ Edith Sitwell/ Constant Lambert incl works by Gershwin/ Rodgers/ Ellington/ Lambert
• Fade
  Koch Discover DICD 920125
  Melologos Ensemble/Pamela Hunter/ S van den Broeck
• Fade
  Sony Classical SBK 62400
  Philadelphia Orchestra/ Eugene Ormandy/ Vera Zorina incl works by Holst
• Fade
  Symposium SYMPCD 1180
  The Belmont Ensemble of London/ Peter Gilbert-Dyson/ Benjamin Luxon/ Sheila Amit incl works by Watson/ Gorb
• Fade
  Symposium SYMPCD 1203
  Chamber Orchestra/ William Walton/ Edith Sitwell/ Constant Lambert incl Lambert/ Bliss/ Warlock/ Berners
• Fade – Suite arranged for wind ensemble
  Ensemble EML 006
  Haffner Wind Ensemble of London incl works by Ravel/ Haydn/ Reicha/ Matthews/ Barber
• Fade Orchestral Suite No. 1/ Fade Orchestral Suite No. 2/ Fade Orchestral Suite No. 3/ Sinfonia Conc
  Chandos CHAN 9148
  Eric Parkin/ London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Bryden Thomson/ Jan Latham-Koenig incl works by Arnold
• Fade Orchestral Suites
  CBC Records SMCD 5176
  Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra/ Gwen Hoebig/ Bramwell Tovey incl works by Coates/ Elgar / Vaughan Williams/ Holst
• Fade Orchestral Suites
  Hyperion CDA 66436
  English Northern Philharmonia/ David Lloyd-Jones incl works by Bliss/Lambert
• Fade Orchestral Suites
  RCA Living Stereo LSC 2285
  Anatole Fistoulari, cond/ Royal Opera House
• Fade Orchestral Suites
  Reference RR 16
  Chicago Pro Musica incl works by Strauss/ Scriabin/ Nielsen
• Fade/ Fade 2
  Chandos CHAN 8869
  Richard Baker/ Susana Walton/ City of London Sinfonia/ Richard Hickox
• Fade/15 Sitwell Poems
  ASV CDDCA 679
  Prunella Scales/ Timothy West/ London Mozart Players/ Jane Glover
• Fanfare arranged Sargent/A Queens Fanfare/The National Anthem
  Chandos CHAN 6573
  Locke Brass Consort/ James Stobart incl works by Bliss/ Elgar/ Tippett/ Rubbra etc.
• First String Quartet/ String Quartet in A Minor
  Chandos CHAN 8944
  Gabrieli String Quartet
• Five Bagatelles
  Claudio CC 4628-2
  Andrew Keeping incl works by Duarte/ Rodney Bennett/ Hunt/ Bowers/ Tavener
• Gloria/ Te Deum/ Fade Suites/ Crown Imperial/ Orb & Sceptre
  EMI Classics CDM 764201 2
  CBSO & Chorus/Fremaux
• Hamlet, A Shakespeare Scenario/ As You Like It
  Chandos CHAN 8842
  John Gielgud/ Catherine Bott/ Academy of St Martin in the Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner
• Hamlet/ As You Like It
  Naxos 8.553344
  RTE Sinfonietta/Andrew Penny
• Henry V – A Musical Scenario after Shakespeare
  Naxos 8.553343
  RTE Sinfonietta/ Andrew Penny/ Michael Sheen/ Anton Lesser
• Henry V – Touch her soft lips and part
  Chandos CHAN 9216
  ASMIF Chamber Ensemble incl works by Mozart/ Debussy/ Elgar/ Gershwin/ Tchaikovsky
• Henry V/ As You Like It
  Meridian CDE 84349
  English Serenata/ Gabrielle Byam-Grounds/ Guy Woolfenden/John Nettles/ Lorna Rushton
• Henry V/ Crown Imperial/ The First Shoot/ March and Siegfried Music (from the Battle of Britain)/ Mu
  ASV White Line CDWHL 2093
  Black Dyke Mills Band/ James Watson/ Robert Portal
• Henry V: A Shakespeare Scenario
  Chandos CHAN 8892
  Christopher Plummer/ Celia Nicklin/ Ian Watson/ Academy of St Martin in the Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner/ ASMF Chorus/ Choristers of Westminster Cathedral
• Johannesburg Festival Overture/ Concerto for Violin and Orchestra/ Fade Suite No. 1/ Capriccio Burle
  Sony Classical SBK 62749
  New York Philharmonic Orchestra/ Andre Kostelanetz/ Zino Francescatti/ The Philadelphia Orchestra/ Eugene Ormandy
• Jubilate Deo
  Priory PRCD 351
  Choir of Norwich Cathedral/ Taylor/ Nicholas incl works by Stanford/ Harris/ Harvey / Purcell/ Boyce/ Tavener/ Haydn/ Naylor/ Blow/ Wood/ Balfour Gardiner/ Finzi
• Jubilate Deo
  York YORKCD 116
  Choir of Canterbury Cathedral/ David Flood/ Michael Harris incl works by Faure/ Davies/ Ives/ Tippett/ Purcell/ Barnby/ Turle/ Knight/ Gibbons/ Mendelssohn
• Long Steel Grass from Fade/Old Sir Faulk from Fade/Touch her soft lips and part (Henry V)/ Gloria (C
  Chandos CHAN 7008
  Arthur Davies/ David Haslam/ Della Jones/ Michael Davis/ Neil Mackie/ Rachel Masters/ Susana Walton/ Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/ City of London Sinfonia/ London Symphony Orchestra/ Northern Sinfonia/ Richard Hickox/ London Symphony Orchestra/ Royal Scottish National Orchestra/ Bryden Thomson/ Westminster Singers incl works by Vaughan Williams/ Bliss/ Leighton
• Magnificat/Nunc Dimittis
  Priory PRCD 529
  Rochester Cathedral Choir/ William Whitehead/ Roger Sayer incl works by Whitlock/ Watson/ Stewart/ Tippett/ Heath/ Ashfield/ Murrill
• Make We Joy
  Collins Classics 12702
  The Sixteen/ The Sixteen Orchestra/ Harry Christophers incl works by Britten/ Tavener/ Maxwell Davies
• Make We Joy
  Collins Classics 70112
  The Sixteen/ The Sixteen Orchestra/ Harry Christophers incl works by Britten/ Tavener/ Leighton/ Fricker/ Rubbra/ Hayward/ Howells/ Warlock
• Missa Brevis
  York YORKCD 127
  Choir of Canterbury Cathedral/ David Flood/ Michael Harris incl works by Langlais/ Peeters
• Old Sir Faulk
  Chandos CHAN 8722
  Felicity Lott/ Graham Johnson incl works by Britten/ Howells/ Grainger/ Warlock/ Elgar etc.
• Passacaglia for solo cello
  Chandos CHAN 8499
  Peter Wallfisch/ Raphael Wallfisch incl works by Delius/ Bax/ Bridge
• Piano Quartet/String Quartet in A minor
  Meridian CDE 84139
  English String Quartet/ John McCabe
• Portsmouth Point overture/Capriccio Burlesco/The First Shoot/Scapino: a comedy overture/Prelude for
  Chandos CHAN 8968
  The London Philharmonic/ Bryden Thomson
• Richard III: a Shakespeare scenario/ Macbeth: Fanfare and March/ Major Barbara: a Shavian sequence
  Chandos CHAN 8841
  John Gielgud/ Ian Watson/ Academy of St Martin in the Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner
• Set me as a Seal upon thine heart
  Hyperion CDA 66618
  Choir of St Pauls Cathedral/ John Scott/ Thomas Colwell/ Alan Green incl works by Harwood/ Stanford/ Tavener/ Wood/ Harris/ Attwood/ Wesley/ Saxton/ Holst/ Parry/ Elgar
• Set me as a Seal upon thine heart
  Lindenberg LBCD 55
  Choir of St. Johns College, Cambridge/ Christopher Robinson/ Allan Walker/ Kathryn Turpin Incl works by Finzi/ Langlais/ Copland
• Set me as a Seal upon thine heart
  Metronome Recordings METCD 1016
  Salisbury Cathedral Choir/ Richard Seal/ Benjamin Dean/ David Halls incl works by Parry/ Byrd/ Mendelssohn/ Bach/ Walton/ Mozart/ Weelkes/ Tallis/ Shephard/ Stanford/ Walford Davies/ Howells/ Tallis/ Philips/ Parry/ Monteverdi/ Harris
• Set me as a Seal upon thine heart
  Regent REGCD110
  Chapel Choir of Lincoln College Oxford incl works by Britten/ Ord/ Chaplin/ Gibbons/ Byrd/ Stanford/ Tavener/ Durufle/ Tallis/ Bach/ Finzi
• Sinfonia Concertante/Spitfire Prelude & Fugue/Variations on a theme by Hindemith
  Naxos 8.553869
  Peter Donohue/ English Northern Philharmonia/ Paul Daniel
• Sonata for Strings / Two pieces from Henry V
  CBC Records SMCD 5227
  Manitoba Chamber Orchestra/ Goodman
• Sonata for violin and piano/Sonata for violin, viola, cello and piano
  Chandos CHAN 8999
  Hamish Milne/ Kenneth Stillito/ Robert Smissen/ Stephen Orton
• Spitfire Prelude
  Chandos CHAN 6585
  RAF College, Cranwell/ Squadron Leader D.S. Stephens incl works by Coates/ Goodwin/ Lockyer/ Strauss/ Fucik etc.
• Spitfire Prelude and Fugue/ Scapino/ Crown Imperial/ Orb and Sceptre/ Johannesburg Festival Overture
  EMI Classics CDM 763369 2
  RLPO/ Groves
• Spitfire Prelude and Fugue/A Wartime Sketchbook/Suite: Escape me never/The Three Sisters: music for
  Chandos CHAN 8870
  Academy of St Martin in the Fields/ Sir Neville Marriner
• String Quartet in A minor
  Collins Classics 12802
  The Britten Quartet incl works by Elgar
• String Quartet in A minor
  Hyperion CDA 66718
  Coull Quartet incl works by Bridge/Elgar
• String Quartet in A minor
  Testament SBT 1052
  The Hollywood String Quartet incl works by Prokofiev and Hindemith
• Suites from the Battle of Britain/Henry V/As You Like It
  EMI Classics CDM 565585 2
  LPO, Davis
• Symphony No. 1
  Chandos CHAN 6570
  Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Sir Alexander Gibson incl Elgar
• Symphony No. 1 and Violin Concerto
  Nimbus Alliance B003LKRN7E
  Conductor: William Boughton
• Symphony No. 1 in B flat minor
  Arte Nova
  Ensemble:      Grand Canary Philharmonic Orchestra
  Conductor:     Adrian Leaper
  Release Date:  Sep 12, 2006
  Country:         England
• Symphony No. 1/ Varii Capricci
  Chandos CHAN 8862
  London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Bryden Thomson
• Symphony No. 1/Cello Concerto
  EMI Classics CDC 754572 2
  Harrell/ CBSO/ Rattle
• Symphony No. 1/Cello Concerto/Belshazzars Feast/Coronation Te Deum/Crown Imperial/Anniversary Fanfar
  Chandos CHAN 241/10
  Ralph Kirshbaum/ Sherrill Milnes/ George McPhee/ Royal Scottish National Orchestra Chorus/ Scottish Festival Brass Bands/ Royal Scottish National Orchestra/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Sir Alexander Gibson/ Sir David Willcocks
• Symphony No. 1/Partita
  Naxos 8.553180
  English Northern Philharmonia / Paul Daniel
• Symphony No. 1/Portsmouth Point Overture
  Virgin Classics CUV 561146 2
  LPO/ Slatkin
• Symphony No. 1/Scapino/A Comedy Overture/Siesta
  Arte Nova 74321 39124 2
  Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria Adrian Leaper
• Symphony No. 1/Spitfire Prelude and Fugue
  ASV Quicksilva CDQS 6093
  Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Vernon Handley/English Chamber Orchestra/Stuart Bedford
• Symphony No. 1/Viola Concerto/Three Fade Songs
  Dutton Laboratories CDAX 8003
  London Symphony Orchestra/ Frederick Riddle/ Dora Stevens/ Hubert Foss/ Sir Hamilton Harty/ William Walton
• Symphony No. 2/ Symphonic suite: Troilus and Cressida
  Chandos CHAN 8772
  London Philharmonic/Bryden Thomson
• Symphony No. 2/Viola Concerta/Johannesburg Festival Overture
  Naxos 8.553402
  Lars Anders Tomter/English Northern Philharmonia/Paul Daniel
• The Bear
  Chandos CHAN 9245
  Alan Opie/ Della Jones/ John Shirley-Quirk/ Northern Sinfonia/ Richard Hickox
• The First Shoot
  CRD CRD 3444
  London Collegiate Brass/ James Stobart incl works by Tippett/ Britten/ Ireland
• The Quest: complete ballet/The Wise Virgins: suite from ballet
  Chandos CHAN 8871
  London Philharmonic Orchestra / Bryden Thomson The Twelve Lindenberg LBCD 55 Choir of St. Johns College, Cambridge/ Christopher Robinson/ Allan Walker/ Kathryn Turpin Incl works by Finzi/ Langlais/ Copland
• The Twelve
  Priory PRCD 557
  Peter Backhouse/ Choir of St Marys Cathedral incl works by Harwood/ Byrd/ Tavener/ Gibbons/ Lotti/ Stanford /Key / Brahms/ Howells
• The Wise Virgins/Scapino/ Portsmouth Point
  Belart 461 359-2
  Sir Adrian Boult/ London Philharmonic Orchestra incl works by Arnold
• Through Gilded Trellises
  Hyperion CDA 66176
  Felicity Lott/ Ann Murray/ Graham Johnson/ Anthony Rolfe Johnson/ Richard Jackson incl works by Granados/ Turina/ Berlioz/ Saint-Saens/ Brahms/ Schumann/ Wolf/ Chabrier
• Toccata for violin and piano/Duets for Children/Valse from Fade arr. for piano/Two pieces for violin
  Chandos CHAN 9292
  Carlos Bonell/ Gretel Dowdeswell/ Hamish Milne/ John Mark Ainsley/ Kenneth Sillito
• Troilus & Cressida, (Opera North version)
  Chandos CHAN 9370
  Alan Opie/ Arthur Davies/ Brian Cookson/ Bruce Budd/ Clive Bayley/ David Owen-Lewis/ James Thornton/ Judith Howarth/ Keith Mills/ Nigel Robson/ Stephen Dowson/ Yvonne Howard/ Richard Hickox
• Two pieces for strings from Henry V
  Collins Classics 12342
  ASMF/ Kenneth Sillito incl works by Tippett/ Holst/ Britten
• Two pieces for strings from Henry V
  Naxos 8.550979
  Bournemouth Sinfonietta/ Richard Studt incl works by Bartok/ Britten/ Stravinsky
• Variations on a theme by Hindemith
  Sony Classical SBK 53258
  Cleveland Orchestra/ GeorgeSzell/ Philadelphia Orchestra/ Eugene Ormandy incl works by Hindemith
• Variations on a theme by Hindemith/Symphony No.2/ Partita for Orchestra
  Sony Classical SBK 62753
  The Cleveland Orchestra/ George Szell
• Viola Concerto
  Pearl GEMMCD 9252
  Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus/ Walton/ Boult incl works by Casadesus/ Vaughan Williams/ Bach/ Schubert /Dvorak/ Nevin
• Viola Concerto/Violin Concerto
  EMI Classics CDC 749628 2
  Kennedy/ RPO/ Previn
• Violin Concerto
  Collins Classics 13382
  London Symphony Orchestra/ Salvatore Accardo/ Richard Hickox incl works by Elgar
• Violin Concerto
  Decca 452 851-2
  Joshua Bell/ Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/ David Zinman incl works by Barber/ Bloch
• Violin Concerto
  Decca 460 014-2
  Kyung Wha Chung/Andre Previn incl works by Beethoven
• Violin Concerto
  Nimbus Alliance NI 6119
  Kurt Nikkanen/New Haven Symphony Orchestra/William Boughton
• Violin Concerto
  EMI Classics CDM 764202 2
  Haendel/ BSO/ Berglund incl works by Britten
• Violin Concerto/ Viola Concerto
  Avid AMSC 604
  Jasch Heisetz/ Cincinatti Symphony Orchestra/ Eugene Grossens/ William Primrose/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ William Walton
• Violin Sonata
  Audiofon CD 72020
  Aaron Rosand incl works by Respighi/ Sibelius
• Violin Sonata
  EMI Classics CDM 566122 2
  Yehudi Menuhin/ Hephzibah Menuhin/ Kentner incl works by Williams/ Elgar
• Violin Sonata
  IMP Classics 30367 02552
  Joseph Pach/Arlene Nimmons incl works by Bloch/ Handel
• Violin Sonata
  Pro Piano PPR 224505
  Yukiko Kamei/ Chitose Okashiro incl works by Franck
• Wapping Old Stairs (from a Song for the Lord Mayors Table)
  Hyperion CDA 66165
  Sarah Walker/ Thomas Allen/ Roger Vignoles incl works by Haydn/ Schubert/ Schumann/ Mendelssohn/ Brahms/ Berlioz/ Borodin/ Wolf/ Ives/ Faure/ Debussy/ Britten/ Ireland/ Dibdin
• What cheer?
  Collegium COLCD 107
  Cambridge Singers/ John Rutter incl works by Parsons/ Tallis/ Byrd/ Farrant/ Stanford/ Vaughan Williams
• What cheer?
  Hyperion CDA 66925
  Polyphony/ Stephen Layton incl works by Wishart/ Howells/ Bennett/ Leighton/ Warlock/ Byrd
• Where does the uttered music go?/The Twelve
  Guild GMCD 7139
  Schola Cantorum of Oxford/ Mark Shepherd/ David Goode incl works by Bax/ Britten/ Blatchly/ Swaine/ Pott/ Howells/ Rose/ Moore

La Mortella

The island of Ischia, in the Bay of Naples, has long been a refuge for artists, musicians, writers and screen personalities. Immediately after the second world war William Walton came to live on Ischia with his Argentinian wife Susana, and over the years they entertained many illustrious guests, including Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Terence Rattigan and Maria Callas.

Their home, La Mortella – the place of the myrtles – is set in exotic tropical gardens renowned throughout Europe.  Originally designed by the landscape architect Russell Page , they were opened to the public in 1991 and today can be visited between April and November.

The house is built on the side of a volcanic hill and includes a Recital Hall and the Archive. Created in 1990, the Archive contains Sir William’s letters, photographs, manuscripts and memorabilia. It offers an important resource for both students and enthusiasts, and part of the material is today on permanent exhibition in the Museum. The collection is continually updated, each time new material comes to light. As with La Mortella itself, which has evolved from a barren stone quarry into a rich tropical garden, the archive has been a labour of love supported by careful long-term planning.

In the Recital Hall, two Seasons of chamber music concerts are staged, one in Spring and one in Autumn. Young musicians sent from Italian and foreign Schools of Music perform more than 70 weekend concerts, all open to the public. Between 1989 and 1999 annual Masterclasses were organised for young singers and other musicians each August and September. Harvard University has a Residency programme here for composers, and trainee gardeners come to gain work experience.

Over the years the ‘Fondazione William Walton e La Mortella’ has established special collaborative relationships with prestigious schools of music, among them the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama which has set up a scholarship in the name of William Walton and sends an ensemble of its students to Ischia each year, the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, with whom an annual scholarship is offered to a young musician and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia USA, with whom residential music courses and concerts are organised.

The Greek Theatre dominates the upper garden, with audience seating cut into the slope of the hillside and a stage that overlooks the panorama of the Bay of Forio. It is in this evocative theatre, surrounded by China roses and aromatic herbs, that the summer season of Youth Orchestra Concerts takes place.

La Mortella is one of the most beautiful private gardens in Europe. In 2004 it was awarded First Prize as ‘il più bel parco d’Italia’ (the most beautiful park in Italy) by the American company Briggs & Stratton, against competition from 100 other gardens.

This enchanting garden has taken more than 50 years to create, from the artistic sense, the love and the determination of Lady Walton to offer the composer a refuge in which to work in serenity and seclusion. Whilst William was composing, Susana was creating a masterpiece of her own, made up of flowers and plants; tirelessly planting, giving form and structure to an inaccessible and unpromising terrain, propagating and irrigating, and from a belief in the force of dreams, little by little she has created a garden which today hosts thousands of rare and exotic plants. For Susana Walton, la Mortella is a life’s mission, a monument to the life and works of William, and a touching record of the great love that they lived together.

The property, which in the early years of the 1950s was a scorched and desolate terrain studded with volcanic rocks, is today a garden on several levels, which varies from a typically sub-tropical environment in the valley, with its own humid and shady microclimate, to areas much more exposed to the sun high on the hill.

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La Mortella

Susana Walton

Oxford University Press

Cello Concerto, score

Yale University, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

In honour of the city of London, manuscript

Contacts

The William Walton Trust

89, Judd Street
London
UK
WC1H 9NE

Phone: 020 7 387 1437
info@waltontrust.org