John Abbott
@sfjohna.bsky.social
Classical music researcher, technology analyst from the UK. Wikipedia contributor on obscure composers. Walking Berkshire and beyond with my son.
https://atuneadayblogdotcom.wordpress.com/
https://atuneadayblogdotcom.wordpress.com/
3) Mabel Lander, pianist and teacher, pupil of Leschetizky, set up a piano school with Moiseiwitsch. Remembered today as the piano teacher of Queen Elizabeth and her sister Margaret, but she also taught Malcolm Sargent, Alan Bush and many others (1/21) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_L... #jawiki
December 2, 2025 at 2:01 PM
3) Mabel Lander, pianist and teacher, pupil of Leschetizky, set up a piano school with Moiseiwitsch. Remembered today as the piano teacher of Queen Elizabeth and her sister Margaret, but she also taught Malcolm Sargent, Alan Bush and many others (1/21) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_L... #jawiki
92) Frida Kindler, concert pianist, Busoni pupil and from 1910 wife of Bernard van Dieren. By June 1963, aged 84, she was suffering from dementia so the family sold off her Steinway by putting this notice in The Times. She died in January 1964. (3/24) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_K... #jawiki
November 29, 2025 at 11:39 AM
92) Frida Kindler, concert pianist, Busoni pupil and from 1910 wife of Bernard van Dieren. By June 1963, aged 84, she was suffering from dementia so the family sold off her Steinway by putting this notice in The Times. She died in January 1964. (3/24) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_K... #jawiki
It's being reprinted, due to demand. Expensive, but in my opinion, worth every penny
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lab...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lab...
Labyrinth: British Jazz on Record 1960 - 1975
A lavish, visual celebration of British jazz albums in the 1960s and early 1970s
www.kickstarter.com
November 27, 2025 at 9:32 PM
It's being reprinted, due to demand. Expensive, but in my opinion, worth every penny
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lab...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lab...
91) Known to many for his Mr Benn TV theme tune, Duncan Lamont was a wide-ranging musician: sax player, bandleader, composer of orchestral music and library music. In 2019 he performed in a tribute concert at the 606 Club, aged 87, just before he died (10/22) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_... #jawiki
November 27, 2025 at 4:50 PM
91) Known to many for his Mr Benn TV theme tune, Duncan Lamont was a wide-ranging musician: sax player, bandleader, composer of orchestral music and library music. In 2019 he performed in a tribute concert at the 606 Club, aged 87, just before he died (10/22) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_... #jawiki
Going back to early episodes of "Add to Playlist" and discovered this cover of Take Five by the Sachal Studios Orchestra - admired by Brubeck himself, apparently www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLF4...
Sachal Studios' Take Five Official Video
YouTube video by sachal music
www.youtube.com
November 27, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Going back to early episodes of "Add to Playlist" and discovered this cover of Take Five by the Sachal Studios Orchestra - admired by Brubeck himself, apparently www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLF4...
91) Gwynne Kimpton was a pioneering woman conductor and founder of many orchestras, including the Bromley Symphony Orchestra in 1917 and the 80-strong British Women's Symphony Orchestra, which had its inaugural concert at Queen's Hall on 3 April 1924. (11/23) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynne_... #jawiki
November 26, 2025 at 10:44 AM
91) Gwynne Kimpton was a pioneering woman conductor and founder of many orchestras, including the Bromley Symphony Orchestra in 1917 and the 80-strong British Women's Symphony Orchestra, which had its inaugural concert at Queen's Hall on 3 April 1924. (11/23) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynne_... #jawiki
90) Adrian Kerridge, producer and sound engineer, helped found the Lansdowne Studios in 1959 (with Denis Preston and Joe Meek), established "The Tottenham Sound", recorded Stranger on the Shore, and many of the KPM 1000 Series library music discs (6/24) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_... #jawiki
November 25, 2025 at 7:18 AM
90) Adrian Kerridge, producer and sound engineer, helped found the Lansdowne Studios in 1959 (with Denis Preston and Joe Meek), established "The Tottenham Sound", recorded Stranger on the Shore, and many of the KPM 1000 Series library music discs (6/24) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_... #jawiki
You'll love the cover version of "Everything Must Change" by Tee Green, with an epic long note starting at 5.30 and continuing until 6.04. The video shows him getting very purple in the face after only ten seconds (though admittedly his face is purple throughout). www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ0C...
Everything Must Change performed by Tee Green
YouTube video by Tee Green
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:52 AM
You'll love the cover version of "Everything Must Change" by Tee Green, with an epic long note starting at 5.30 and continuing until 6.04. The video shows him getting very purple in the face after only ten seconds (though admittedly his face is purple throughout). www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ0C...
89) I expanded Hugh Kingsmill's entry and compiled an annotated list of his publications. A little like a more intellectual John Pudney, Kingsmill had no money and needed to write to earn his living, and so had to publish on a wide range of subjects (7/21)
November 22, 2025 at 9:14 AM
89) I expanded Hugh Kingsmill's entry and compiled an annotated list of his publications. A little like a more intellectual John Pudney, Kingsmill had no money and needed to write to earn his living, and so had to publish on a wide range of subjects (7/21)
88) Cellist Florence Hooton gave many important British music premieres in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, including Oration by Frank Bridge on 18 January 1936, after the work had been turned down by Felix Salmond. Her last public performance was in 1978. (12/21) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florenc... #jawiki
November 18, 2025 at 10:22 AM
88) Cellist Florence Hooton gave many important British music premieres in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, including Oration by Frank Bridge on 18 January 1936, after the work had been turned down by Felix Salmond. Her last public performance was in 1978. (12/21) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florenc... #jawiki
87) Spike Hughes has been called Britain's earliest jazz composer, & first tried out A Harlem Symphony on William Walton's piano at No 2 Carlyle Square. He played a tin bass. Hughes was also a pioneer of television opera www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zff-... (7/18) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_H... #jawiki
Spike Hughes & His Dance Orchestra - A Harlem Symphony Pts 1 & 2 (1931)
YouTube video by Andy LeMaitre
www.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:28 AM
87) Spike Hughes has been called Britain's earliest jazz composer, & first tried out A Harlem Symphony on William Walton's piano at No 2 Carlyle Square. He played a tin bass. Hughes was also a pioneer of television opera www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zff-... (7/18) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_H... #jawiki
86) Percussionist James Holland was principal percussionist at the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Boulez, performed with the London Sinfonietta from its start, and assisted Britten, Henze, Knussen, Stockhausen and others with their percussion problems (10/24) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H... #jawiki
November 16, 2025 at 9:26 AM
86) Percussionist James Holland was principal percussionist at the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Boulez, performed with the London Sinfonietta from its start, and assisted Britten, Henze, Knussen, Stockhausen and others with their percussion problems (10/24) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H... #jawiki
85) Trevor Hold's ''Parry To Finzi: 20 English Song Composers", published in 2002 not long before his death, is a key reference text for me. There are now good recordings of his major song cycles and piano music, but not of the operas or symphonies (2/21) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_... #jawiki
November 15, 2025 at 10:10 AM
85) Trevor Hold's ''Parry To Finzi: 20 English Song Composers", published in 2002 not long before his death, is a key reference text for me. There are now good recordings of his major song cycles and piano music, but not of the operas or symphonies (2/21) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_... #jawiki
84) Arthur Hinton was one of a group of "new music" composers that Granville Bantock promoted, but like the others - William Wallace, Reginald Steggall, Stanley Hawley & Henry Erskine Allon - he remains obscure. His wife was pianist Katharine Goodson (10/21) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_... #jawiki
November 15, 2025 at 7:02 AM
84) Arthur Hinton was one of a group of "new music" composers that Granville Bantock promoted, but like the others - William Wallace, Reginald Steggall, Stanley Hawley & Henry Erskine Allon - he remains obscure. His wife was pianist Katharine Goodson (10/21) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_... #jawiki
83) Wilfred Heaton composed Salvation Army music throughout his career, but their requirement for practical music was at odds with his broader compositional ambitions. Paul Hindmarsh has made a catalogue of works en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred... www.britishmusicsociety.co.uk/2025/02/wilf... #jawiki
Wilfred Heaton: His Life, His Music - British Music Society
This is a remarkable story of a pioneering composer who wrote largely for brass bands, yet considered that they were, in general, not fully committed to serious music...
www.britishmusicsociety.co.uk
November 12, 2025 at 12:20 PM
83) Wilfred Heaton composed Salvation Army music throughout his career, but their requirement for practical music was at odds with his broader compositional ambitions. Paul Hindmarsh has made a catalogue of works en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred... www.britishmusicsociety.co.uk/2025/02/wilf... #jawiki
82) Welshman John Rippiner Heath was a doctor as well as a composer, known by patients as "The Beloved Physician". In 1938 he wrote a Cello Concerto for his son Kenneth which was revived in 1962, 12 year after his death (5/22) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ri... ##jawiki www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfNg...
John Rippiner Heath - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 11, 2025 at 11:12 AM
82) Welshman John Rippiner Heath was a doctor as well as a composer, known by patients as "The Beloved Physician". In 1938 he wrote a Cello Concerto for his son Kenneth which was revived in 1962, 12 year after his death (5/22) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ri... ##jawiki www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfNg...
81) Stanley Hawley, born in 1867 as the son of a butcher at 61 South St, Ilkeston - the house is a still a butcher's today - was praised as a piano soloist by Grieg. He composed recitation pieces for speaker and piano, such as The Raven (1896). (4/24) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley... #jawiki
November 10, 2025 at 5:04 PM
81) Stanley Hawley, born in 1867 as the son of a butcher at 61 South St, Ilkeston - the house is a still a butcher's today - was praised as a piano soloist by Grieg. He composed recitation pieces for speaker and piano, such as The Raven (1896). (4/24) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley... #jawiki
The pieces (specially commissioned by ABRSM and others) include compositions by Michael Betteridge, Louise Derwent, Chris Gardner, Ailie Robertson, Alexandra Skevington and Fred Viner @openupmusic.bsky.social @mbetteridge.bsky.social
November 10, 2025 at 11:47 AM
The pieces (specially commissioned by ABRSM and others) include compositions by Michael Betteridge, Louise Derwent, Chris Gardner, Ailie Robertson, Alexandra Skevington and Fred Viner @openupmusic.bsky.social @mbetteridge.bsky.social
After that it's Thursday 20th November, lunchtime, at the Guildhall School of Music, as part of Disability History Month. clariontrio.co.uk
The clarion Trio
clariontrio.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 11:34 AM
After that it's Thursday 20th November, lunchtime, at the Guildhall School of Music, as part of Disability History Month. clariontrio.co.uk
80) While conducting in December 1894, the sleeve of Cécile Hartog's muslin dress was set alight by one of the lamps on her music desk. An orchestral member extinguished it with an opera cloak. She composed incidental music, solo piano music and songs (8/22) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9... #jawiki
November 10, 2025 at 7:26 AM
80) While conducting in December 1894, the sleeve of Cécile Hartog's muslin dress was set alight by one of the lamps on her music desk. An orchestral member extinguished it with an opera cloak. She composed incidental music, solo piano music and songs (8/22) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9... #jawiki