With six symphonies, a violin concerto and many other works to his credit, the name of Arnold Bax is well known to all followers of contemporary music. As Sir Arnold Bax, composer of the fanfares for the Royal Wedding and anthems for State occasions, he is known to many more in his capacity as Master of the King's Musick, a position he has held since 1942. In 1943, Sir Arnold wrote his first film music for a documentary picture entitled MALTA G.C., a production of the Army, R.A.F. and Crown Film Units. The recording was made by the R.A.F. Orchestra conducted by Muir Mathieson and the commentary to the film was spoken by Laurence Olivier. The music was afterwards performed as a suite and was recorded by the B.B.C., the score itself was formally presented to the George Cross Island at a ceremony in London at which the composer was present. Of this work, Dr. Hubert Clifford wrote "Arnold Bax's music for MALTA G.C. is of the highest distinction and ranges from the epic to the naively human in parallel with the exciting subject matter of the film." Sir Arnold is above all an honest man. Although he had enjoyed the experience and had created a successful film score, his own critical standards were not satisfied. With complete frankness, he wrote of his impressions on music and the film: "I do not think the medium is at present at all satisfactory as far as the composer is concerned, as his music is largely inaudible, toned down to make way for - in many cases - quite unnecessary talk." In fact after Bax had seen the film, he met Laurence Olivier, who said "I suppose you are annoyed with me"; to which came the reply "Yes, I jolly well am - chattering away all over my music. Bombs falling in all directions, planes crashing right and left, my music having a wonderful time - and just at the crucial, my music is faded down to make way for some fatuous remark like an air raid is in progress; it is a time of danger for the population!" Now Sir Arnold has written his second film score, this time for the Cineguild production of the famous Charles Dickens novel OLIVER TWIST, which has been directed by David Lean and produced by Ronald Neame. He admits that he enjoyed the experience of writing for a feature film and feels too that here is a subject in which the music will get its chance, and be able to make a positive contribution to the telling of the story. Two complete viewings of the finished film, along with typed lists of "music lengths" (i.e. exact timings of all the sections of the film involving music) were sufficient for Sir Arnold to embark on his ten-week task of writing the music itself. Working in his hotel-home in Sussex, the composer had frequent discussions with Muir Mathieson, the music director, before the score was finally completed and sent to the music copyists for the preparation of the orchestral parts. An unusual feature of the music recording was the fact that a complete day was spent on rehearsal alone to ensure that a perfect performance should be obtained for the finished picture and to check on the integration of the music with the film in every possible detail. The composer was present most of the time during the final recording sessions and was particularly fascinated by the way in which the music was fitted to the action, bit by bit. The highlights of the score have been made into a suite of six items. These include the Prelude , an exciting Fight Scene , two piano pieces (played in the film by Harriet Cohen), the rip-roaring Chase Scene , with bustling strings, a ripe tune for the brass and plenty of activity for the percussion, A Romp , and a Finale (which contains one of the most delightful tunes in the picture and is extremely lyrical). It is interesting to see how the director, David Lean, the music director, Muir Mathieson, and the composer, Arnold Bax, visualised the music, conveyed their ideas, and collaborated in the final result after discussion on all the points involved. For example, here are David Lean's original notes for three sequences, showing how the working out of the music was effected in each case; the result on the screen you must judge for yourself. "I haven't the faintest idea what sort of music should accompany the Titles, but I should like it gradually to fade away - a fade into an orchestration that suggests that something is about to happen, so that the last two titles on the screen will be in and the first shot of the picture - that of dark clouds - will have a rumble of distant thunder." The title music was eventually worked out with two main musical ideas of the picture. Firstly, there is the "locket theme" - the locket being the key to the mystery of Oliver's birth - and secondly the theme associated with Oliver himself, heard first on divided strings in the upper register. Lean's idea of "something about to happen" and the "last two titles on the screen in silence" eventually became incorporated in the form of a tremolo string sound that quivers through the last of the titles and acts as a bridge into the opening scenes of Oliver's mother in the storm, struggling to the workhouse. The next example, taken from the sequence in which the infant Oliver is carried through the workhouse, shows how discussion may sometimes alter the director's original conception of a scene if he hears an idea he likes better. David Lean first wrote: "The mother has died in the lying-in room, and the doctor has said 'It's all over, Mrs. Thingummy'. As daylight pours in, I should like the music to start again. Hopeful: a new day: new life. I should like the music to 'accent' the locket round the girl's neck as it is a very important plot point. The music over the walk through the workhouse changes to a more sombre note." The sunlight music and the locket theme were incorporated into the music as Lean indicated, but for the scenes of the workhouse an experiment was tried. It was decided that Oliver himself was the primary factor in the scene introducing the dingy, sordid surroundings of the workhouse. Therefore, Bax wrote a part for the piano (played for the film by Harriet Cohen) and as Oliver is carried, crying, through the monstrously ugly and dimly lit hall, the tentative sounds of a piano are heard to emphasize Oliver and act as a contrast to his miserable surroundings. The piano music has been criticized as "inappropriate", probably because the significance the director and composer were searching for has been missed; it may be, therefore, that Lean's original conception was the correct one. A piece of music which came to be known as "Fagin's Romp" started life again as a note on the director's files: "The boys have sat down to supper with Fagin and after the Dodger has brought out his spoils for the day, Fagin raps the table with the toasting fork and says 'To work'. I should like music to accompany the whole scene of Fagin donning his hat, taking the walking stick and walking round like an old gentleman and finally having his foot trodden on and his pockets picked, causing him to search frantically for his lost wallet and watch, which makes Oliver laugh so much. I think the music should start immediately after 'To work' and end on the dissolve to Oliver lying asleep. This is to me almost the most important piece of music so far, and I should like it to transform the scene into a comic ballet, with only one angry jar in it - the moment when Fagin gives the two boys who have failed to pick his pocket successfully a kick." Sir Arnold Bax's music does full justice to Lean's requirements. It is highly rhythmic, starting lightly and ending in a rich, vulgar tune. Three chords open out into the main idea which begins on the strings; the development is interrupted with string chords and a rising phrase for trombones. The fun increases with a tune for the horns, with off-the-beat accompaniment by the full orchestra, going on to the trumpets and trombones as the noisy climax is reached and a coda, based on the opening theme, brings the musical sketch to an end. It is interesting to note that, at the recording session at Denham with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Muir Mathieson, the music (known then as "4M1" - that is, the first section of music in real 4) was first recorded straight through and then an additional sharp roll on the side drum (known as "4MIX") was recorded to obtain the effect of the kick mentioned in Lean's notes. Recalling the writing of the music in retrospect, Bax admitted that it had been hard work and that he had had to struggle considerably with some sections. This however had added to the interest, and he had obviously found the whole experience bracing and lively. "OLIVER TWIST is very dramatic in parts, and I found I had to adapt my normal musical approach quite a bit, apart from the inevitable restrictions imposed by the stop-watch. Shall I do another film, you ask? No, I can't tell you that at present. But I should like now to try my hand at a particular type of film which would really be in tune with the sort of thing I have tried to do in much of my music. A romantic subject, with beauty and poetry, with colour and gaiety, calm and green and pleasing, a subject that would be lyrical and full of the clean, country air."