Lennox Berkeley

Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989) was a mid 20th century British composer whose career was somewhat overshadowed by those of his contemporaries, Benjamin Britten, William Walton and Michael Tippett. A protégé of Maurice Ravel, Berkeley studied with Nadia Boulanger, and the influence of Les Six permeated his work. He had an ear for songlike lyricism, and developed a style that combined French melodic elegance with English triadic sonorities and neo-Classical clarity. His important works include Five Poems of W.H. Auden, Serenade for String Orchestra, Sonatina for Guitar, and the opera, A Dinner Engagement. He was the father of the composer Michael Berkeley.