The Cyril Scott Companion - new book out now

The Cyril Scott Companion: Unity in Diversity

Edited by Desmond Scott, Lewis Foreman and Leslie De’Ath

The Boydell Press

First published 2018

Front cover image: Cyril Scott by George Hall-Neale, oil on canvas. National Portrait Gallery, London.

Cyril Scott (1879-1970) was an English composer, writer and poet. Educated at the Hoch Conservatory, Frankfurt, and a member of the well-known ‘Frankfurt Gang,’ he was a close friend of Norman O’Neill and his wife Adine who performed many of his early piano pieces. A prolific composer and professional pianist he wrote some four hundred works including symphonies, concerti, songs and operas.  A true polymath –  his books on alternative medicine, occultism and theosophy being highly successful –  he was a controversial figure in his own day and despite his early success  ( he was admired by Stravinsky, Debussy, Strauss and Percy Grainger, a life-long friend )  he was all but forgotten in his own life-time.  This Companion reflects a reviving interest in his work:  consisting of a series of contributions from specialist musicologists and other authorities and the personal reminiscences of friends and his son Desmond, it has a broad scope and is of interest to the general reader and scholar alike in bringing into focus this remarkable artist and his times. In addition there is a Catalogue of Music, Discography and Bibliography.

The book is available for purchase here.