Michael Berkeley

Michael Fitzhardinge Berkeley, Baron Berkeley of Knighton (born 29 May 1948) is an English composer, broadcaster on music and non-party political member of the House of Lords, speaking as an advocate for the arts, contemporary music and music education. Early life Berkeley is the eldest of the three sons of Elizabeth Freda (née Bernstein) (1923–2016) and the composer Sir Lennox Berkeley. He was educated at The Oratory School, in Woodcote, and Westminster Cathedral Choir School. He was a chorister at Westminster Cathedral, and he frequently sang in works composed or conducted by his godfather, Benjamin Britten. Berkeley studied composition, singing and piano at the Royal Academy of Music. He also played in a rock band, Seeds of Discord. His orchestral works include Flames (RLPO/Atherton 1981), Gregorian Variations (Philharmonia/Pittsburgh/Previn 1984), Secret Garden (LSO/Davis, Barbican 1997) and The Garden of Earthly Delights (NYO/Rostropovich, Proms 1998) plus concerti for clarinet, violin, oboe, ‘cello and organ. He has written three operas. Baa Baa Black Sheep (libretto by David Malouf) is based on the childhood of Rudyard Kipling and was recorded by the Opera North Chorus and E