BBC: Leading British conductor Sir Neville Marriner dies at 92

[Frank Forman]

Thanks to Sarah for this. I found him not individualistic enough, so I owned
few recordings. Oddly, I know of no better recordings of MSPC than his.

Leading British conductor Sir Neville Marriner dies at 92
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37535272
* 2 October 2016

The British conductor and violinist, Sir Neville Marriner, has died
at the age of 92, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields says.

Sir Neville started his musical career with the London Symphony
Orchestra.

He later established the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, one of
the world's leading chamber orchestras.

Its chairman, Paul Aylieff, said Sir Neville's artistic and
recording legacy with orchestras and audiences worldwide was
"immense".

"He will be greatly missed by all who knew and worked with him and
the academy will ensure it continues to be an excellent and fitting
testament to Sir Neville," Mr Aylieff added.

A statement from the academy said its founder had passed away
peacefully in the early hours of Sunday.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Sir Neville, pictured
left, began his musical career as a violinist

Born in Lincoln in 1924, Sir Neville studied at the Royal College of
Music and the Paris Conservatoire.

He first played in a string quartet, then in the London Symphony
Orchestra, during which time he decided to form a chamber ensemble
from London's finest players.

A group of friends began rehearsing in Sir Neville's front room,
before taking their name from the London church of St Martin in the
Fields where they staged their first performance in 1959.

The academy, which Sir Neville became life president of, says it now
has one of the largest collections of recordings of any chamber
orchestra in the world.
Image copyright PA Image caption The Duke of Cambridge made Sir
Neville a Companion of Honour earlier this year

Sir Neville has been widely honoured for his work which includes
recording the soundtrack for the 1984 film, Amadeus, and becoming
the oldest conductor to lead at the Proms, in 2014 at the age of 90.

In March, he was made a Companion of Honour by the Duke of Cambridge
at Buckingham Palace, and has also been honoured in France, Germany
and Sweden.