Lennox Berkeley
1903–1989 (age 86)
Biography
Lennox Berkeley (1903–1989) composed with luminous clarity, producing works for orchestra, choir, and chamber ensemble that blended English lyricism with French refinement. A student of Maurice Ravel and a contemporary of Benjamin Britten, he helped shape the sound of 20th-century British music through operas, song cycles, and film scores.
He also guided younger composers with generous encouragement, and when he passed he was laid to rest at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Yattendon, a fitting resting place for so lyrical a spirit.