Malcolm Arnold facts for kids
Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold (born October 21, 1921 – died September 23, 2006) was an English composer. He wrote many different kinds of music. This included nine symphonies, many concertos (pieces for a solo instrument and orchestra), and music for plays, ballets, and movies. His music often had clear melodies, exciting rhythms, and bright sounds. He wrote music for over one hundred films, including The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), for which he won an Oscar.
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Growing Up and Early Career
Malcolm Arnold was born in Northampton, England. He was the youngest of five children in a well-off family. Even though his family made shoes, they loved music. Both of his parents played the piano, and his aunt was a violinist. His great-great-grandfather, William Hawes, was also a composer.
When Malcolm was 12, he saw the famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong play. This inspired him to start playing the trumpet. Five years later, he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music (R.C.M.). There, he studied how to compose music with Gordon Jacob and played the trumpet with Ernest Hall.
In 1941, he joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) as a trumpet player. He became the main trumpet player in 1943. During World War II, he was a conscientious objector, meaning he refused to join the military for moral reasons. He was allowed to keep playing with the LPO. Later, he volunteered for military service but soon returned to civilian life to focus on music. After playing with the BBC Symphony Orchestra for a short time, he went back to the London Philharmonic in 1946. By 1948, he left the orchestra to become a full-time composer.
A Busy Composer
By the time he was 30, Malcolm Arnold was one of Britain's most popular composers, alongside Benjamin Britten. He was very good at creating catchy tunes. This made him famous for writing "light music," like his fun concert overtures and his sets of dances inspired by different parts of Britain: Welsh, English, Scottish, Irish, and Cornish dances.
He was also very successful at writing music for movies. He created scores for over a hundred films and documentaries. Some famous ones include The Bridge on the River Kwai, Hobson's Choice, and the St Trinian's movies. His nine symphonies often showed a more serious and personal side of his work. Arnold also wrote many concertos and chamber music pieces, as well as music for ballets and other theater shows.
Later Life and Passing
As he got older, Malcolm Arnold faced challenges with his health. Despite being told in the early 1980s that he might only live for another year, he recovered and lived for 22 more years with the help of a carer, Anthony Day. During this time, he finished his Ninth and final symphony in 1986.
By his 70th birthday in 1991, people were once again celebrating his music. He received a huge cheer at the Royal Albert Hall after a performance of his Guitar Concerto.
Malcolm Arnold passed away on September 23, 2006, at the age of 84, due to a chest infection. On the same day, his last work, The Three Musketeers, was performed for the first time by the Northern Ballet.
His Music Style
Malcolm Arnold wrote music that was generally easy to listen to and had clear melodies. He was influenced by composers like Hector Berlioz, Gustav Mahler, Béla Bartók, and even jazz music. Many people have compared his style to that of Jean Sibelius.
His most important works are often considered to be his nine symphonies. He also wrote many concertos for different instruments, including:
- Guitar for Julian Bream
- Cello for Julian Lloyd Webber
- Clarinet for Frederick Thurston and Benny Goodman
- Harmonica for Larry Adler
- A special concerto for three hands playing on two pianos for the husband-and-wife team of Cyril Smith and Phyllis Sellick.
His sets of dances are very popular. These include two sets of English Dances, plus Scottish Dances, Cornish Dances, Irish Dances, and Welsh Dances. They are often light and fun, and are played by orchestras, wind bands, and brass bands. One of his English Dances was even used as the theme music for a British TV show called What the Papers Say.
Arnold also wrote exciting concert overtures, which are short pieces for orchestra. Some famous ones are:
- Beckus the Dandipratt
- Tam o' Shanter, based on a famous poem by Robert Burns
- A Grand Grand Overture, which was written for a funny festival and included sounds from three vacuum cleaners and a floor polisher!
- Peterloo Overture, which remembered a historic event where protesting workers were attacked in Manchester.
He also wrote a popular short piece called Divertimento for Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet. Malcolm Arnold is also known for his many pieces and arrangements for brass bands.
Music for Movies
Malcolm Arnold was a very successful composer for films. He wrote over one hundred film scores for movies and documentaries between 1947 and 1969. In 1957, he won an Oscar for the music in David Lean's film The Bridge on the River Kwai. He also worked with David Lean on The Sound Barrier (1952) and Hobson's Choice (1954). His music for The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) won him an Ivor Novello Award.
During the 1950s, he wrote music for many big British and American films, such as 1984, Trapeze, and Dunkirk. He also wrote all the music for the St Trinian's film series, including The Belles of St Trinian's (1954), which he really enjoyed.
In the 1960s, his film scores included Tunes of Glory (1960), Whistle Down the Wind (1961), and The Chalk Garden (1964). His last film score was for the movie David Copperfield in 1969.
His Legacy
Malcolm Arnold was the President of the Rochdale Youth Orchestra until he passed away. The Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra made the first commercial recording of his Divertimento in 1967. They often performed his works.
Arnold also conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for a live recording of Jon Lord's Concerto for Group and Orchestra with the band Deep Purple in 1969. He also conducted the first performance of Lord's Gemini Suite in 1970.
Since the 1980s, there have been many concerts and festivals celebrating his music. Every October, there is a Malcolm Arnold Festival in his hometown of Northampton. A secondary school in Northampton, the Malcolm Arnold Academy, opened in 2010, and a new preparatory school opened in 2014, both named after him.
Awards and Honors
Malcolm Arnold received many awards and honors throughout his life:
- 1937 – Won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music
- 1958 – Won an Oscar for the music to The Bridge on the River Kwai
- 1959 – Won an Ivor Novello Award for the music to The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
- 1969 – Received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Exeter
- 1970 – Appointed a Commander (CBE) of the Order of the British Empire
- 1986 – Won another Ivor Novello Award for his great contributions to British Music
- 1993 – Was knighted (became "Sir Malcolm Arnold") for his services to music
See also
In Spanish: Malcolm Arnold para niños
Images for kids
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Sir Malcolm Arnold
