After his health collapsed, George Lloyd and his wife Nancy left London to become market gardeners, growing and selling carnations and farming mushrooms.
Compositional Technique
Uniquely among George Lloyd's symphonies, the Tenth Symphony is scored for brass only, using a specific combination of instruments for flexibility and varied sounds.
Composer Biography
George Lloyd was prevented from attending school until age twelve due to persistent rheumatic fever, after which he received an exclusively musical education.
Critical Reception
The broadcast of George Lloyd's Eighth Symphony in 1977 was a major turning point for the composer, eliciting an "astonishing response" from the public.
Composer's Artistic Vision
George Lloyd's artistic credo was "I just write what I have to write", and he wrote in a traditional idiom enriched by studying composers like Verdi and Berlioz.
Composer Biography
During World War II, George Lloyd served as a radio signaller on Arctic convoys; his ship was struck by a malfunctioning torpedo, leaving him mentally and physically traumatised.
Composition History
George Lloyd's Tenth Symphony, 'November Journeys', was inspired by his visits to cathedrals using cheap rail fares, and was commissioned by the BBC for the Northern Brass Ensemble.
