SIR MICHAEL KEMP TIPPETT OM CH CBE
(12/1/1905-8/1/1998)
Malcolm Hayes' review for the Daily Telegraph following the Albert Hall performance of Byzantium where Sir Michael wore a pair of trousers I had made him.
A mention in Meirion Bowen's biography of Tippett
I first met Sir Michael in Perth in 1990, when I played the electric guitar with the WASO (West Australian Symphony Orchestra) in a performance of New Year Suite, an orchestral suite based on Sir Michael's 5th and last opera, New Year.
I was soon to move to London to see what I could make happen there, having graduated from the WA Conservatorium of Music 1988 followed by a year of teaching at the Conservatorium, the WA Academy of Performing Arts and freelancing in Perth in 1989. I spoke to Sir Michael, and his assistant Meirion (Bill) Bowen about ideas for getting an introduction into the London music scene. Both were extremely helpful, particularly Bill Bowen, who at that stage was the contemporary music reviewer for The Guardian newspaper.
Soon after arriving in London, I was invited to Bill's 50th birthday party, at which Sir Michael was an esteemed guest. Sir Michael was impressed with the trousers I was wearing and enquired of their provenance. When I told Sir Michael that I had indeed made them, the conversation turned to whether he might like me to make him some, which he did. After production, I delivered them to Sir Michael at his home near Chippenham and he later wore them, if at no other time, to the European premiere of his orchestral work Byzantium.
I imagine it will be the only time in my life that trousers I have made will get "reviewed" in a national British newspaper.
With Sir Michael at his home in Chippenham after delivering his trousers.
An inscription written by Sir Michael for me to append to a copy of his book Those Twentieth-Century Blues: An Autobiography.
It reads:
“Philip
Longs and shorts down under suit well.
Many thanks
Michael”
I had made a pair of long trousers and shorts; "down under," word play on Australia and where the clothing is worn; "suit well", more word play - in case that wasn't all obvious.
Sir Michael didn't drive, but there was a Volvo under the house that he loved having visitors drive around so that he could get out into the countryside. Here he is (and so is the Volvo) on one of my visits, sporting some headache-inducingly garish shorts.
When I stayed at his house (Nockett’s Hill Farm, Calne, Wiltshire), I’d get up in the morning and after breakfast, Michael would enquire whom I would like to meet?
I did request Julian Bream one day, but either he was busy playing cricket (I might have made that up) but for whatever reason that meeting didn’t happen. We did one day (1991) go to a retirement village in Oxford for Michael to meet up with Professor Frederick W. Sternfeld (1914-1994). The two of them sat discussing their personal friendships and acquaintances with just about every composer or high-profile musician of the 20th Century. Certainly Stravinsky, Robert Craft, Benjamin Britten, Colin Davis, Aaron Copland, Vaughan Williams and many others were discussed in this capacity. I wish I could remember more detail of the conversation.
In early 2018, Oliver Soden emailed me asking for permission to include a photo of Michael wearing the trousers in a soon-to-be-published Tippett biography. It duly was included and the book was published to not inconsiderable acclaim in April 2019. A weighty 750+ pages, it’s certainly worth a read. Here’s the photo with associated caption. (They weren’t made for the premiere of Byzantium, but Michael did wear them to it.)