Simon Heffer's articles for the Review section of the Saturday Daily Telegraph are often interesting - and on 26 May he wrote about contemporary English composers, and Ian Venables (who lives in Worcestershire, in particular.

His words are worth quoting: "Venables, a miniaturist, writes exquisite chamber music in the English style of Howells or Ireland...His works, which have instant charm for intelligent listeners while being intensely musical, are performed rarely in the great temples of chamber music such as the Wigmore Hall or the Purcell Room.  Nor are they broadcast frequently on the main classical music stations.  He delights audiences in the provinces - while metropolitan taste is deemed different...and Venables is frozen out.

The two Venables CDs I have been listening to lately are immensely rewarding.  The first, The Song of the Severn (Signum Classics with Roderick Williams)  includes two song cycles and nine other songs....to hear them is to hear something reflective, brooding, melancholy and unmistakably English.  The second CD (Somm) featuring Venables's Piano Quintet and other chamber works, is a revelation.  The Quintet...is an exceptional work with many shifts of tone and varieties of expression, and if Venables's excellence could be symbolised by just one piece, it would be this.  Again, it proves that composers can be original without being dissonant or unappealing.

Most recently, Venables has set the verse of five Great War poets in a new song cycle, Through These Pale Cold  Days.  (The premiere and recording) should be regarded as events of national importance in our musical culture."

A few months ago we were contacted by the Robin Milford Trust, which organised a festival of music by the composer (I remember playing his Sonatina for Treble Recorder).  We've been asked to post the following on our website, which we are glad to do in support of British music generally:

The Robin Milford Trust and Victoria College of Music and Drama

The Milford Trust is proud to announce that, since January of this year, a strong bond and working relationship has developed between the Milford Trust and the Victoria College of Music and Drama (Dr Martin Ellerby, Director), all stemming from the determined promotion of Milford and, indeed, all areas of British Music.


So far, the VCM has arranged the following for the Trust:

1. space on the VCM Website for the duplication of any of our material (articles, photographs and music files) and presentation of new material and Milford news
2. electronic storage of unpublished Milford scores for performance and study purposes
3. 'print on demand' unpublished Milford scores, using the London Music Press as the Trust requires
4. the introduction of seven organ works to the VCM Organ Syllabus (in addition to the Four Viola Pieces already on the Viola Syllabus)
5. assistance to the Milford Trust in any way possible, including advertising on social media.

The Milford Trust is most grateful, in particular, to Stewart Thompson (the Senior Music Examiner and Qualifications Manager) and Robin Wood (the Chief Executive) for their offer of assistance with Milford.  

To facilitate this work, and the promotion of other lesser-known composers, Stewart Thompson has created the J J Lewis British Composer Archive on the London Music Press Website (www.londonmusicpress.com).  Stewart is an authority on Cecil Rootham and has worked extensively in this area.  

Work on the J J Lewis British Composer Archive will be on-going and anyone interested in contributing to this fine work should contact Stewart at the Victoria College.  Access to the Lewis Archive is through the  London Music Press Website, clicking on ‘J H Lewis British Composer Archive’, then ‘Composers’, and scrolling down to the appropriate composer.

All queries regarding Robin Milford should still be addressed to Peter Hunter at [email protected]