Arthur Butterworth was born in New Moston, Manchester on 4 August 1923. He became a choirboy at the age of seven, but it was the sound of a brass band performing in a park which ignited an enduring passion for music. He attended North Manchester Grammar School for Boys and in 1939 was awarded the prestigious Alexander Owen Memorial Fund scholarship which helped admit him to the ranks of the celebrated Besses o’ th’ Barn Band. After war service in the Royal Engineers, he entered the Royal Manchester College of Music, where he received tuition in trumpet and conducting and studied composition with Richard Hall. A prolific and hardworking composer, Arthur Butterworth produced over 150 scores for a variety of musical forces. He wrote mainly to commissions which were often extended by fellow musicians confident he would provide a piece for their instrument or ensemble that was both idiomatic and challenging.

The Lyrita Recorded Edition Trust: Itter Broadcast Collection
Richard Itter had a life-long fascination with recording and he habitually acquired professional equipment for disc and tape recording even for solely private use. From his home in Burnham he was able to receive a good signal from the BBC Wrotham transmitter, which was constructed in 1951 and began broadcasting VHF/FM on 2 May 1955. His domestic recordings from BBC transmissions (including Proms, premieres, operas, symphonies and chamber music – more than 1500 works in total) date from 1952-1996. Everything was initially recorded on magnetic tape, but up to 1955 particularly important performances were transferred to acetate disc. These fragile discs were never played and have remained in excellent condition, as have the majority of the tapes which make up the bulk of the collection. In 2014 the Lyrita Recorded Edition Trust began to transfer this priceless archive and has put in
place formal agreements with the BBC and the Musicians Union to enable the release of items from it to the public.

Contents:

CD 1
1-3. Symphony No.2, op.25 (1963)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Adey
BBC Broadcast: 20 January 1975

4-7. Symphony No.4, op.72 (1986)
BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra, Bryden Thomson
BBC Broadcast: 8 May 1986 (premiere)

CD 2
1-4. Symphony No.1, op.15 (1956)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Arthur Butterworth
BBC Broadcast: 2 December 1976