Opera Scotland

George Lloyd Suggest updates

George W S Lloyd

Born St Ives, Cornwall, 28 June 1913.

Died London, 3 July 1998.

English composer.

In his youth, George Lloyd was recognised as an extremely talented composer, with a gift for dramatic effect and for tonal melody. Iernin, described as a Celtic saga-opera, with a distinctive Cornish theme, had a libretto by his father. It attracted audiences from far afield, leading immediately to performance in London and the commission for a follow-up.

The Serf, with a medieval setting, was greeted enthusiastically in London. The war interrupted his career, and his naval service on convoy escort had a traumatizing effect from which he never fully recovered.

For many years Lloyd earned a living by running a market gardening business with his Swiss wife.

His third opera, John Socman, again with a medieval setting, was composed for the Festival of Britain, and toured round the country by the Carl Rosa company.

Subsequently Lloyd composed a number of symphonies, which achieved belated recognirion during the last years of his life.

Operas performed in Scotland are shown in bold:

01   Iernin (Penzance 1935) (W Lloyd)

02   The Serf (London 1938) (W Lloyd)

03   John Socman (Bristol 1951) (W Lloyd)