Alan Bush. A life - ACE128.7

Bush talks about writing very little orchestral music before World War II as he preferred to concentrate on work which he thought had a better chance of being performed. Roger Steptoe on musicians being reliant on commissions from a performing body which then guarantees a performance of the work which may be followed by further performances and/or broadcasts; composers may form their own ensembles. Poster for the debut performance of the London String Orchestra (January 30, 1939); Bush talks about its formation, and its re-formation after the war; it was not economically viable and disbanded around 1952. Ian Carson, BBC Producer, talks about the six programmes he did around Alan Bush’s music as a result of meeting him when working on programmes on Michael Head and John Ireland. Radio Times entry for broadcast to mark Bush’s 80th birthday. Carson on the thematic nature of Bush’s compositions. Bush talking about the notes of some modern music being organised harmonically, rhythmically, and thematically, and goes on to describe his work, Dialectic. Dialectic, Op:15 (1929).