Lennox Berkeley

Lennox Berkeley was born in Oxford into a semi-aristocratic family. Having grown up around Oxford, he remained there as a student, reading Modern Languages at Merton College. He made music his career, though, and moving to France he was in Paris 1927-32 as a student of the influencial Nadia Boulanger. Here he met composer Francis Poulenc, who became a life long friend, a connection which produced Four Ronsard Sonnets Op. 62 in memory of Poulenc, and Five Songs Op. 26 dedicated to Poulenc and recital partner, Pierre Bernac. Perhaps inspired by his friend, Lennox became a Roman Catholic in 1928. In 1936 he met Benjamin Britten in Barcelona. Here too, was a friendship which flourished, and they became firm friends, with Britten giving Berkeley commissions for the Aldeburgh festival and his English Opera Group over many years, and Berkeley responding with a Stabat Mater, Op. 28 dedicated to Britten.

He was Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music 1946-68, and in 1970 received an Honorary DMus from Oxford University. In 1973 he received one of the highest honours of the Roman Catholic Church, being made a Knight of St. Gregory by the Pope. His principal publisher is Chester Music.

Groves Dictionary of Music