Ian Parrott

Professor Ian Parrott

Ian Parrott (5 March 1916 – 4 September 2012)[1] was a prolific Anglo-Welsh composer and writer on music. His distinctions included the first prize of the Royal Philharmonic Society for his symphonic poem Luxor, and commissions by the BBC and Yale University, and for many leading British musicians. In 1958 his cor anglais concerto was first performed at Cheltenham Festival, and in 1963 his cello concerto was given by William Pleeth and the Hallé Orchestra – both concertos were conducted by Sir John Barbirolli.

Early life

Ian Parrott was born in Streatham, London, in 1916. He first studied at the Royal College of Music. He was a music scholar at New College, Oxford from 1934 to 1937, where he studied the viola with André Mangeot, and was awarded his doctorate in 1940. War service with the Royal Corps of Signals during World War II took him to Egypt.

Career

After the war, Parrott became a lecturer at Birmingham University from 1946 to 1950. After about 1951, Parrott's compositions became deeply influenced by his interest in the Welsh landscape and culture, when he was appointed Gregynog Chair of Music at Aberystwyth until he retired in 1983,

In 1955 Parrott became a founder member of the Guild for the Promotion of Welsh Music. That year he revived the Gregynog Festival, originally held from 1933 until 1938 by the art patrons Gwendoline and Margaret Davies. He ended it in 1961, but the festival, revived again in 1988, has continued.

Amongst Parrott's writings is The Spiritual Pilgrims, a book on the Davies sisters. He also wrote a book on Elgar for the Master Musicians series. A leading authority on Elgar, Parrott was elected a vice-president of the Elgar Society in 1973.[2] He was also a vice-president of the Peter Warlock Society. Parrott wrote a study of the piano music of Cyril Scott. In 1994 he published The Crying Curlew for Peter Warlock's centenary. His autobiography Parrottcisms appeared in 2003. He died in Aberystwyth, and his funeral was held in St Padarn's Church, Llanbadarn Fawr, where in 1985 he donated a stained glass window entitled "Music in Praise of the Lord".

Parrott composed five symphonies, four operas and many chamber works.

Selected works

Stage

Orchestral

Wind band

Concertante

Chamber music

Harp

Organ

Piano

Vocal

Choral

Literary

Awards (selected)

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ Add to Timeline. "Ian Parrott: Obituary". BMDs Online. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  2. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/9597217/Ian-Parrott.html
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