The Arthur Bliss Society
Home Page
President: Ian Venables
Vice-President: Mark Bebbington
Chairman: David Salter
The Arthur Bliss Society was founded in early 2003 with the aim of furthering the appreciation,
understanding and knowledge of the music of Sir Arthur Bliss (1891-1975). He was one of the most
important figures in British musical life from the early 1920s (when he was regarded as an enfant
terrible) through to his later years and his tenure of the office of Master of the Queen's Music from
1953, following Sir Arnold Bax, who had died suddenly in October of that year.
The Committee benefited greatly from the support and encouragement of the late Lady Bliss, our first
President, and then from the late George Dannatt. For Gerald Towell's tribute to him, and links to
press obituaries, see his page. David Wilby wrote an appreciation for MusicWeb.
We were delighted when Peter Ainsworth and Ian Venables accepted invitations to become Vice-
Presidents of the Society. Following George's death, Ian was invited to become our third President
and Terry Barfoot agreed to follow Ian as a Vice-President. Sadly Terry died on 12 August 2020 and
Peter Ainsworth on 6 April 2021. Mark Bebbington, who has long been a Patron and supporter of the
Arthur Bliss Society, succeeds Terry as Vice-President.
Patrons of the Society are musicians James Gilchrist, Julian Lloyd Webber, Rebeca Omordia and
Anna Lapwood, composer Philip Wilby and musicologist/composer Robert Matthew-Walker.
A substantial Journal is published twice a year, in the Spring and Autumn. A cumulative index is also
available. Non-members wishing to buy copies of the Journal and/or the Index please contact the
Chairman.
The website of The Bliss Trust contains biography, bibliography and discography, and we
complement this on the Society's site with active information about social and study events, current
news and comment, details of membership, how to join and how to contact us. Whilst the Bliss Trust
website is still the place to go for the complete discography, we have listed new and recent discs on
this site, as well as some new photographs. We still appeal for any non-copyright photographs that
we could show here, or copyrighted ones that we might be allowed to display.
Our Concerts page is accessed by lovers of Sir Arthur's music worldwide, and we are as keen to
include notices of performances abroad as we are those in the UK. We know that far more
performances take place in other countries than we show on our Concerts page and we look to our
site visitors for information. We have no other regular means of knowing about concerts before they
take place.
The Enquiries page gives the opportunity to site visitors, whether members of the Society or not, to
contribute questions or comments.
The Links page joins us to other interesting and relevant websites: please suggest any useful
additions. Please also let the webteam know of forthcoming performances of Bliss music, so that we
can publicise them here.
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It’s worth searching for ‘Arthur Bliss’ on YouTube - there are hundreds of clips,
including many that are hard to find elsewhere.
Privacy and Cookies Policy
All enquiries relating to copyright should be addressed to The Bliss Trust,
whose details can be found on their website.
Archive enquiries should be adressed to The Music Department, Cambridge University Library.
The Bliss Archive can be accessed here.
updated on 25 January 2023
© The Arthur Bliss Society 2003-2023
See us on Twitter @ArthurBlissSoc
For music on BBC SOUNDS
and recent Web performances
see the Broadcasts page
FORTHCOMING CONCERT
RNS: English Chamber Music Festival
Sage 2 Gateshead, St Mary’s Square,
Gateshead Quays, Gateshead NE8 2JR
on Saturday 11 February 2023 at 8 pm
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Programme includes Clarinet Quintet
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