Sir Malcolm Arnold

Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold CBE, was a composer of works across many genres, he wrote extensively for the theatre, with five ballets specially commissioned by the Royal Ballet, as well as two operas and a musical.

Music is the social act of communication among people, a gesture of friendship, the strongest there is.

After seeing Louis Armstrong play in Bournemouth, he took up the trumpet at the age of 12 and five years later won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music (1937).

Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, but by the age of 30 his life was devoted to composition. He was ranked with Benjamin Britten as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain.

He volunteered for military service in 1944 but hated it so much that he shot himself in the foot to get out of it, returning to civilian life and the first trumpet chair of the London Philharmonic.

Having been a player myself, I always make it as simple as I possibly can for the performers.  Not necessarily children’s music, but I know when I write a piece for a person, I want to know their personality; I want to know them well and I want to put their whole character, through me, in my music, to the public.  

In 1948 he won the Mendelssohn Scholarship, which gave him the impetus to compose full time. He wrote his first symphony in 1949, but the second, from 1953, brought him the most recognition of his serious works.

There is no such thing as serious classical music.
In the end there is just music – good or bad.

A prolifically successful composer for the cinema, Malcolm Arnold is credited with having written over a hundred film scores for features and documentaries between 1947 and 1969 - among these The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), for which he won an Oscar.

It’s always such hard work, writing music.  You have no idea!  I would say it’s one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.  Writing music is a science as well as an art.

His two other collaborations with David Lean (Film Director) were The Sound Barrier (1952) and Hobson's Choice (1954), both of which were also resoundingly successful. Arnold also won an Ivor Novello Award in 1958 for The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.

He provided a series of successful scores for major British and American feature films, such as The Captain's Paradise (1953), The Sea Shall Not Have Them (1954), The Night My Number Came Up (1955), The Constant Husband (1955), I Am a Camera (1955), 1984 (1956), Trapeze (1956), A Hill in Korea (1956), Dunkirk (1958), The Key (1958), The Roots of Heaven (1958).

Although I enjoyed writing Film Music it was always a means to an end, in that it enabled me to keep a wife and family and write my classical music, which has always been my passion.

He also wrote the music for the entire series of St Trinian's films, including The Belles of St Trinian's (1954), which was a particular favourite with the composer. His 1960s scores included The Angry Silence (1960), Tunes of Glory (1960), No Love for Johnnie (1961), Whistle Down the Wind (1961), The Inspector (1962), The Lion (1962), Nine Hours to Rama (1963), Tamahine (1963), The Chalk Garden (1964), The Thin Red Line (1964), Sky West and Crooked (1965), The Heroes of Telemark (1965), Africa Texas Style (1967) and The Reckoning (1970). His last film score was for a star-studded version of David Copperfield (1969).

Having been a player myself, I always make it as simple as I possibly can for the performers.  Not necessarily children’s music, but I know when I write a piece for a person, I want to know their personality; I want to know them well and I want to put their whole character, through me, in my music, to the public. 

Concerto For Group And Orchestra, Recorded September 24th 1969 at Royal Albert Hall, London (image featured above) saw the majesty of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the revered Sir Malcolm Arnold, dovetailed with the commanding presence of Deep Purple as they were emerging as one of Britain’s finest new rock forces.

In 1993 Arnold was knighted for services to music.

My advice to young composers coming along... If you feel you’re a composer, go on with it, because there are very, very few people who have the tenacity, or can live that long, to be any good and communicate internationally.  

Music will go on.  It can’t go on if there are no people to perform it.  Music is a social art and you have to have orchestras, string quartets, etc.  You have to have buildings.  

To learn more about Malcolm Arnold click and explore any of his media channels and network links in the tool-bar above.