Alan Ridout’s Three Pictures of Picasso, originally written for the National Youth Orchestra, was performed by the LSSO at a De Montfort Hall concert in 1964 in the presence of the composer. A pupil of Sir Michael Tippett’s, Ridout composed his second symphony for the LSSO and dedicated it to Sir Michael to mark his 60^th birthday. The symphony was first performed in 1965 and also featured in the television programme Overture with Beginners, a copy of which is kept in the LSSO archives. The 1967 Leicestershire Schools Festival included a number of LSSO commissions and in May that year Ridout’s dance drama Funeral Games for a Greek Warrior made its debut at De Montfort Hall. In July 1967 the orchestra made its first commercial disc for the Pye Golden Guinea label and Ridout responded to Eric Pinkett’s request for a short work for inclusion on the disc by composing a lively Concertante Music. The work’s debut took place on a record rather than at a public concert which is unusual to say the least. Concertante Music was then taken on the LSSO tour of Denmark and Germany in September 1967.

Press articles relating to this recording and other information about Alan Ridout can be seen in the reviews section of this website.