Thomas Beecham

There are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and finish together. The public doesn't give a damn what goes on in between.

No operatic star has yet died soon enough for me.

Great music is that which penetrates the ear with facility and leaves the memory with difficulty. Magical music never leaves the memory.

Every street in London has a camera, and if you ever travel up the M4, it feels as if George Orwell should be your chauffeur.

Composers, like authors, have a lot in common. Our main goal is to connect with the listener emotionally.

My first career ambitions involved turning into a boy; I intended to be either a railway guard or a knight errant.