Michael Henry Wilson

Michael Wilson (1 July 1901 in Birmingham, United Kingdom – 22 December 1985 in Stourbridge, United Kingdom), was a musician, curative educator, scientist, translator and General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain

Michael Henry Wilson was born into a Quaker family in 1901. His mother Theodora Wilson, had met Rudolf Steiner and visited the first Goetheanum. For some years he was a professional violinist and conductor. He studied at the Goetheanum and became fluent in German. Later he was a founder and director of the first curative home in the UK. He translated a number of Rudolf Steiner’s works and researched and lectured on Goethe's Theory of Colours.

Although at school Michael had specialized in Physics and Chemistry, with a view to taking over the successful chemical plant his father owned and ran, he decided to study Violin and Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music. He later (1929) became second conductor of the British National Opera Orchestra under Sir John Barbirolli, played as Concert Master under Sir Thomas Beecham and was a close friend of Sir Adrian Boult.

A meeting with the German curative educator, Fried Geuter, in 1929 caused him to break off a successful musical career. Lady Cynthia Chance has described this in her memoirs. She was invited to a lecture by a Mrs Lloyd Wilson (Michael Wilson’s mother) who ran an Anthroposophical study group in the area, to be held by Fried Geuter:

Fried Geuter’s vision and intention of establishing a centre for Special Needs education based on Anthroposophy in Birmingham inspired Michael Wilson to start the Sunfield Children's Home for severely disabled children together with him. In 1932 this moved to the village of Clent by Stourbridge, where it continues its work to this day.

It was there that 30 years later, in 1962, Michael Wilson and David Clement, both co-workers of Sunfield Homes, offered space and support to Francis Edmunds in founding Emerson College, and together with him, became its first trustees. Michael Wilson continued to lecture at the college many years after it had moved to Forest Row remaining connected with it until his death.

...
Wikipedia