John Linton Gardner(1917-2011): died yesterday 12th December

[Dundonnell]

John Gardner died yesterday afternoon at a nursing home in Hampshire    He was 94 years old.

There is an excellent website devoted to this fine but relatively under-appreciated composer and the site gives a full work list.

http://www.johnlintongardner.co.uk/index.htm

I certainly cherish the 2 cds of his orchestral music in my own collection: the Naxos coupling of his big, very fine, Baxian Symphony No.1 with the Piano Concerto No.1 and Overture "Midsummer Ale" and the ASV cd which couples his short Symphony No.3, the Sinfonia Piccola for strings, the Flute Concerto, the Irish Suite, the Prelude for Strings  and the Overture "Half-Holiday".

Gardner wrote a considerable amount of fine choral music with which I am, sadly, not familiar and a lot of music for school and amateur orchestras and choirs.
His Symphony No.2 has been crying out for a recording for many a long year.

His is a sad passing, albeit at a fine old age and British music has lost yet another of that generation which grew up in the decade or so prior to the Second World War. Only Arthur Butterworth(now aged 88) and the slightly younger Sir Peter Maxwell Davies(77), Sir Richard Rodney Bennett(75) and John McCabe(age 72) remain of the British symphonists of that generation.

Rest In Peace.

[cilgwyn]

Well,this thread 'died' quickly! Or maybe it just needs a little more time. I remember reading some enthusiastic reviews of these cds in Gramophone,I think. 'Big and Baxian' sounds tempting & very cheap from sellers on Amazon,even if you're too impoverished,like me,to splash out on a brand new Naxos cd! (Actually I am.....I'm waiting for a new card,so no online transactions for the time being,however small! )

NB:  Can't believe even Peter Maxwell Davies is an OAP now. How time flies! Meanwhile,John McCabe is the Dec IRR "Too many records" (Or is it cds? My memory!........)

[vandermolen]

Sorry to hear this - I also greatly admired the Symphony which came out on Naxos.