John McCabe

John McCabe’s distinguished career during his lifetime established him as one of Britain’s leading classical musicians. His set of the complete Haydn Piano Sonatas, recorded in the 1970s, still stands as a landmark. Widely praised at the time, the set, now on 12 CDs, has never been unavailable, and continues to sell across the world after 40 years. McCabe’s love for the music of Nielsen was also deep, and his two LPs of what was regarded at the time as the complete Nielsen solo piano music were recorded around the same time as the Haydn. In April 2015 they were re-released as a 2-CD album by Somm, as a tribute to McCabe and in honour of Nielsen’s 150th anniversary of birth.

McCabe’s devotion to music, and especially to unjustly neglected music of great value, led him to explore and perform the music of composers of many different kinds – Bax, Grieg, Rawsthorne, Hindemith, Howells, Copland, Satie, Ireland and Joubert are amongst the many whose work he recorded. He was deeply interested in contemporary music also, performing and promoting with great generosity the work of his fellow composers, and in due course, that of younger composers. He also made outstanding recordings of his own piano music.

As a composer, McCabe also enjoyed international stature, with seven symphonies, the ballet Edward II (Stuttgart 1995), and the two full-evening ballet, Arthur Pendragon (Birmingham Royal Ballet 1999/2001), The Chagall Windows and Notturni Ed Alba among his leading works, together with much chamber, keyboard, and vocal music. Cloudcatcher Fells is considered to be a classic of the brass band repertoire. Among his recent works were Symphony On A Pavane (London Philharmonic Orchestra), Symphony No. 7, Labyrinth, (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and his Cello Concerto, Songlines, written for Truls Mørk and the Halle Orchestra.

Showing great courage, three works were composed by John McCabe while suffering from the brain tumour which ended his life. Joybox was written for the Proms 2012 (BBC Philharmonic Orchestra), a Sonata On William Byrd’s Haec Dies for the Deal Festival 2014 (Simon Desbruslais trumpet/ Clare Hammond piano), and most recently Christ’s Nativity for double choir/organ premiered by the Halle Choir/Jonathan Scott (December 2014).

John McCabe was appointed CBE for services to British music in 1985, and in 2006 the Incorporated Society of Musicians honoured him with their Distinguished Musician Award.

In May 2014 he was the recipient of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors IVOR Award for Classical Music, while the Iles Medal was awarded to him in September 2014, for services to the brass band movement.