The composer

When George Butterworth died in action at the Somme on 5 August 1916, his brigadier wrote of ‘a brilliant musician in times of peace, and an equally brilliant soldier in times of stress’. Born in London in 1885, the Oxford-educated Butterworth became a close friend of Vaughan Williams, joining him on several field trips to collect folk songs – VW also credited Butterworth with encouraging him to write his A London Symphony. Though Butterworth’s own output was small, his mastery can be seen in his songs and short but potently atmospheric orchestral works.

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