Bert Bailey writes appreciatively about that forgotten man, the current
Master of the Queen's Music, and asks for more information.

I think the eclipse of his reputation is, first and foremost, a very sad
reflection on the vagaries of fashion.  Many of us who grew up musically
in England during the late '60's and early '70's feel we owe him a great
debt, both for the refreshing exuberance of his own music and for his
marvellously perceptive broadcasts and illuminating performances (both as
pianist and conductor) of many other British composers, notably Britten and
Vaughan Williams.

Not for the first time, what looked like a brilliant appointment of
a young and communicative composer as MQM has turned horribly sour.
Failures to complete official commissions on time and consequent
establishment opprobrium, difficulties in his personal life and with his
publishers Weinbergers, who gave up on active promotion some years ago,
increasing time spent working with autistic and handicapped children in
Australia instead of adorning the London concert scene ...  all these have
led to the powers that be completely shunning Williamson and all his works,
and to the apparent dessication of his creative faculties.

I believe a major rehabilitation job should be undertaken here.
Williamson is an important composer - with respect to Sculthorpe and
others, simply the most exciting talent ever to have emerged from Australia
(the fact that he didn't stay there has been another problem for him).  The
failure of the BBC and the record companies to keep his best works before
us - or even, with the exception of the Violin Concerto, to re-release any
of the many fine LP recordings of his works on CD - is very sad.

A brief list of works well worth seeking out:
The Symphonies.
The Organ Concerto and solo organ works (some of these are
available).
Anything for Piano (or two pianos) and Orchestra
The Piano Quintet, and other chamber music.
The Song Cycles - notably "A Child's garden of Verses"

Most of all the operas.

Only the two children's operas "The Happy Prince" and the superlative
"Julius Caesar Jones" have been recorded complete, but you may come across
bootleg tapes of his major operas, "Our Man in Havana", "The Growing
Castle" (a major chamber opera based on Strindberg's "Dream Play") and -
best of all - "The Violins of Saint-Jacques".

To my mind this is one of the greatest of all post-war operas.
Theatrically it has everything, as the series of revivals by Vox Pop
at English National Opera testified (before the sets were burnt in
a disastrous fire) ...  voodoo rituals, scenes in an open boat on
the Caribbean, a ballroom submerged in a volcanic eruption and more.
Musically, it is an extraordinary mixture of austere atonalism, Afro-
Caribbean rhythm and unashamed Big Tunes alla Ivor Novello.  Hugely
enjoyable, massively vital and dramatically cogent, above all deeply
moving and human.  Why, oh why, has it never been recorded?

I hope the Wheel of Fortune turns again to give this marvellously engaging
and engaged composer another taste of the success which is, musically
speaking, his richly deserved due - and while he is still with us.  No
retrospectives, please!

Christopher Webber,  Blackheath, London,  UK.
http://www.nashwan.demon.co.uk/zarzuela.htm
"ZARZUELA!"