Howard Ferguson was talent-spotted in Belfast as a 13-year-old pianist and invited to take lessons in London with Harold Samuel * At the Royal College of Music studied composition with R O Morris and conducting with Sir Malcolm Sargent * Compositional breakthrough came in 1933 with the Octet, widely regarded as his masterwork * Influenced by Brahms, and supported music of friends Vaughan Williams and Finzi* Works combine love of Classical forms and thematicism with expressive Romantic idiom * Meticulous approach to craftsmanship produced small output praised for its compositional perfection * In 1959, after making a final artistic statement in two oratorios, abandoned composition in favour of parallel musicological interests * Works championed by leading performers including Myra Hess, Jascha Heifetz, Yfrah Neaman, Kathleen Ferrier, Sir Henry Wood and Sir Adrian Boult
Works by Howard Ferguson include: Octet (1933) for clarinet, bassoon, horn and string quintet Piano Concerto (1950-51) for piano and strings Amore Langueo (1955-56) for tenor, chorus and orchestra The Dream of the Rood (1958-59) for soprano, chorus and orchestra
Looking Ahead: Centenary in 2008
"Ferguson's music may seem to have little in common with the more radical statements of the 20th century, but it is beautifully executed and strongly structured, with a gentle but memorable manner of expression" — The Listener
