by Ben Hogwood

Today marks 50 years since the passing of Sir Arthur Bliss, one of the most important composers in recent British musical history.

The Arthur Bliss Society sum up his contribution as “one of the most important figures in British musical life from the early 1920s (when he was regarded as an enfant terrible) through to his later years and his tenure of the office of Master of the Queen’s Music from 1953, following Sir Arnold Bax”.

If you are a regular Arcana reader you will have read about recent performances of A Colour Symphony, one of his most popular orchestral works, and also a revival for his masterful Temporal Variations, recorded by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and John Wilson for later this anniversary year.

For now, here is a Tidal playlist taking excerpts from some of Bliss’s most important works, as well as including the two orchestral works noted above:

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/5bd034aa-a0fb-42f5-9b1c-28788ad8a0fa

To read about further concerts in Bliss’s anniversary year, you can visit the Arthur Bliss Society website – where you will find more information about the pieces above.

Published post no.2,486 – Thursday 27 March 2025