Malcolm Williamson

Australian composer Malcolm Williamson (1931-2003), the 19th Master of the Queen's Music. His life and work were a celebration of diversity seen from the unchanging truths of the Catholic Church. He converted to the faith aged 21, three years after moving to Britain. This prodigiously gifted composer, a pupil of Elisabeth Lutyens and Erwin Stein, brought his grist to his mill of admired 20th century classics a virtuoso command not only of the many idioms of popular music, from jazz to hymnody, but also the techniques of serialism and medieval and Indian music.