Anthony Payne

Anthony Payne (born 2 August 1936) is an English composer, most famous for the work published as Edward Elgar: The Sketches for Symphony No. 3 elaborated by Anthony Payne. His career as a composer might be described as a continuous attempt to reconcile his personal affinity with British composers of the early 20th century (especially Ralph Vaughan Williams, Frederick Delius, Edward Elgar and Frank Bridge) with the stylistic innovations of post-war contemporary music.

Born in London, Payne was interested in composing music from an early age. After studying at St Cuthbert's Society, Durham University, he spent a period as a freelance musicologist. Since the mid-1960s, when he composed his Phoenix Mass, he has received commissions for new works from several important ensembles, including the English Chamber Orchestra and the Nash Ensemble. Three major orchestral works: The Spirit's Harvest (1985), Time's Arrow (1990), Visions and Journeys (2002) and Of Land, Sea and Sky (2016) were all premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra at The Proms in London. He has also composed a Concerto for Orchestra (1974) and other orchestral pieces, as well as chamber, instrumental and choral works. His String Quartet No. 2 (2010) won the Chamber category of the 2011 British Composer Awards.

In 1988 he co-founded the "questing young ensemble"Jane's Minstrels with his wife, the soprano Jane Manning. Amongst his ensemble pieces, A Day in the Life of a Mayfly and Symphonies of Wind and Rain (composed for and recorded by Jane's Minstrels) are considered particularly effective. Although Payne's realisations of several works by Elgar have brought him considerable notice and acclaim, he has also composed a Frederick Delius paraphrase entitled Spring's Shining Wake (1981) and has transcribed songs by Peter Warlock for Jane's Minstrels.

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