Birth of composer William Brocklesby WORDSWORTH. Studied with Sir Donald Tovey. His second symphony won first prize in the Edinburgh International Festival Competition in 1950. Composed symphonies, a piano concerto, songs, and chamber music. d-10 MAR 1988.
SAN FRANCISCO - VIDEO
Electronic Ink, the leading design consultancy dedicated to improving the way people interact with technology, their environments, and one another, recently launched a complete redesign of The Philadelphia Orchestra's website http://www.philorch.org. The redesigned site provides an enhanced understanding of the Philadelphia Orchestra's program offerings and better enables visitors to interact with the Orchestra, especially to find concerts and purchase tickets and to make donations...
and other opera legends, has died aged 85, Milan's La Scala opera house said Friday. Raimondi died on Sunday, 19 OCT 2008, at his home in Pianoro near Bologna in central Italy. La Scala said in in a statement that he had requested that his death not be announced until after his private funeral. La Scala described Raimondi, who was born in 1923, as having "one of the biggest voices of his time." Raimondi gave 270 performances, including a standout display in Luchino Visconti's 1956 version of Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata". He appeared in Vienna, Berlin, London and New York and worked with Callas and orchestra great Herbert von Karajan at La Scala.
"An Evening of Music With Anthony Hopkins & the Dallas Symphony Orchestra – A World Premiere" on Friday night. Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh film, stage and television actor. Considered by many to be one of film's greatest living actors, however, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is presenting a program that will include music he created for the films Slipstream and August, as well as other original compositions and pieces from some of his films written by others. His work as a composer isn't just the product of a successful actor enjoying a new hobby in the way some of his Hollywood counterparts have picked up a paintbrush or sat down at a typewriter. Mr. Hopkins has been "doodling" with music most of his life.
There is no composer currently alive who has been more closely associated with Christmas music than John Rutter. For more than 30 years his seasonal choral music has gained him an international following. This major new album of over a dozen new compositions and arrangements together with Rutter's selection of favourite carols was recorded at London's Cadogan Hall and is the first all new Christmas release from Rutter's celebrated Cambridge Singers for 20 years. Accompanying the superb choir are the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and with contributions from the Farnham Youth Choir this is an album with a sales potential far, far beyond the average choral release. The Cambridge Singers are indeed in fine voice and bring to light the soaring melodic cadences of the new Rutter works like "Rejoice And Be Merry", "New Year" and "I Wish You Christmas". His new arrangements are strong too though there's only so much he could do with an over-jolly melody like "Nos Galan (New Year's Eve)", better known to you and I as "Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly". 
Having said that, the haunting Appalachian carol "I Wonder As I Wander" and the quite beautiful "The Shepherd's Carol" are two of the finest examples of Christmas music you'll hear this or any year. Reviewed by Tony Cummings
1 OCT 1908 Birth of Danish composer, pianist and teacher Herman KOPPEL in Copenhagen. d-Copenhagen, 14 JUL 1998. WEB
