Anthony Milner
Encyclopedia
Anthony Milner was a British
composer, teacher and conductor.
Milner was born in Bristol
, and educated at Douai School
, Woolhampton
, Berkshire
. He won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music
, where he studied piano with Herbert Fryer and theory with R. O. Morris
. He also studied composition privately with Mátyás Seiber
.
Milner's teaching career began at Morley College
, London
, where he taught music theory and history from 1948 until 1964. He was Lecturer in Music at King's College London
, from 1965 until 1971, when he moved to Goldsmiths' College as Senior Lecturer, becoming Principal Lecturer in 1974. In 1980 he was appointed full-time Principal Lecturer at the Royal College, where he had taught part-time since 1961. He remained in this post until his retirement in 1989. His students included John Carmichael
.
Milner had close academic ties with North America
. From 1964 onwards he gave frequent summer lecture tours in the USA
and Canada
.
Milner's teaching interests centred on twentieth-century British music
and on sacred and liturgical music
. He was Composer-in-Residence at the Summer School of Liturgical Music at Loyola University
, New Orleans, in 1965 and 1966, and the first Director of Spode Music Week
, an annual residential Music school that places particular emphasis on the music of the Roman Catholic liturgy. In 1985 Pope John Paul II
appointed Anthony Milner a Knight of St. Gregory
, in recognition of his work for Catholic liturgical music.
Milner's early compositions were influenced by Michael Tippett
, who was Morley College's music director at the time of his appointment to the staff. As he developed his own voice, he continually sought new ways of expressing himself within an essentially tonal style. Contrapuntal rigour and the influence of plainsong are evident in most of his works. A commission for the Leicestershire Schools Music Festival in 1967 resulted in a Te Deum, first performed by the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in May that year under the direction of the composer.
From 1954-65 Milner was director and harpsichordist of the London Cantata Ensemble, with whom he gave the first broadcast performances in the UK of many Buxtehude
cantatas. He also frequently conducted performances of his own music.
Milner was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
in his 40s. As the illness progressed, composition became an increasingly difficult activity. His last work, the Oboe Concerto, was completed in 1994. He spent the last two years of his life in Spain and died there on 22 September 2002.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
composer, teacher and conductor.
Milner was born in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, and educated at Douai School
Douai School
Douai School was the public school that was run by the Douai Abbey Benedictine community at Woolhampton, England, until it closed in 1999.- History :...
, Woolhampton
Woolhampton
Woolhampton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. The village is situated on the London to Bath road between the towns of Reading and Newbury...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. He won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, where he studied piano with Herbert Fryer and theory with R. O. Morris
R. O. Morris
Reginald Owen Morris , almost universally cited in sources and referred to even by his friends by his initials, as 'R.O. Morris', was a British composer whose compositions have been overshadowed by his formidable reputation as a teacher.He was born in York...
. He also studied composition privately with Mátyás Seiber
Mátyás Seiber
Mátyás György Seiber was a Hungarian-born composer who lived and worked in England from 1935 onward.-Career:Seiber was born in Budapest, and studied there with Zoltán Kodály, with whom he toured Hungary collecting folk songs. In 1928, he became director of the jazz department at the Hoch...
.
Milner's teaching career began at Morley College
Morley College
Morley College is an adult education college in London, England. It was founded in the 1880s and has a student population of 10,806 adult students...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he taught music theory and history from 1948 until 1964. He was Lecturer in Music at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, from 1965 until 1971, when he moved to Goldsmiths' College as Senior Lecturer, becoming Principal Lecturer in 1974. In 1980 he was appointed full-time Principal Lecturer at the Royal College, where he had taught part-time since 1961. He remained in this post until his retirement in 1989. His students included John Carmichael
John Carmichael (composer)
John Carmichael OAM is an Australian pianist, composer and music therapist who has long been resident in the United Kingdom. One of his best known works is the Concierto folklorico for piano and string orchestra. His works for piano form much of his musical output, although he composes for many...
.
Milner had close academic ties with North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. From 1964 onwards he gave frequent summer lecture tours in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Milner's teaching interests centred on twentieth-century British music
British music
British music could refer to:* Music of the United Kingdom* English music* Irish music* Scottish music* Welsh music* Celtic music...
and on sacred and liturgical music
Christian liturgy
A liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship. Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used by a Christian congregation or denomination on a regular basis....
. He was Composer-in-Residence at the Summer School of Liturgical Music at Loyola University
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...
, New Orleans, in 1965 and 1966, and the first Director of Spode Music Week
Spode Music Week
Spode Music Week is the name of an annual residential Music school that places particular emphasis on the music of the Roman Catholic liturgy. It is a registered charity in England...
, an annual residential Music school that places particular emphasis on the music of the Roman Catholic liturgy. In 1985 Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
appointed Anthony Milner a Knight of St. Gregory
Order of St. Gregory the Great
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See...
, in recognition of his work for Catholic liturgical music.
Milner's early compositions were influenced by Michael Tippett
Michael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...
, who was Morley College's music director at the time of his appointment to the staff. As he developed his own voice, he continually sought new ways of expressing himself within an essentially tonal style. Contrapuntal rigour and the influence of plainsong are evident in most of his works. A commission for the Leicestershire Schools Music Festival in 1967 resulted in a Te Deum, first performed by the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in May that year under the direction of the composer.
From 1954-65 Milner was director and harpsichordist of the London Cantata Ensemble, with whom he gave the first broadcast performances in the UK of many Buxtehude
Dieterich Buxtehude
Dieterich Buxtehude was a German-Danish organist and composer of the Baroque period. His organ works represent a central part of the standard organ repertoire and are frequently performed at recitals and in church services...
cantatas. He also frequently conducted performances of his own music.
Milner was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
in his 40s. As the illness progressed, composition became an increasingly difficult activity. His last work, the Oboe Concerto, was completed in 1994. He spent the last two years of his life in Spain and died there on 22 September 2002.
Sources and external links
- http://www.musicaltimes.co.uk/archive/0204/milner.html Musical TimesThe Musical TimesThe Musical Times is an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom. It is currently the oldest such journal that is still publishing in the UK, having been published continuously since 1844. It was published as The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular until...
Obituary. - http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Mar03/Milnerobit.htm Musicweb obituary.
- http://www.chesternovello.com/default.aspx?TabId=2431&State_2905=2&composerId_2905=1057 Entry for Milner on the Chester-Novello website. Includes link to list of works.
- Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra website
- Milner Symphony No. 1 & Variations for Orchestra - BBC Sym Orch. Lionel Friend - Review
- MusicWeb Review by Rob Barnett