Divinations, Doodlings and Downright Lies

During lockdown, Lyell Cresswell wrote this far from conventional autobiography. Each chapter begins with an increasingly fanciful – and very colourful – account of an exciting life. Under the cover of this playful narrative, he smuggles in deeply considered ideas about music, and about what it means to be a composer – a person who is both philosopher and storyteller. These ideas are accompanied by beautiful and exuberant pen and ink drawings – some for graphic scores, others for his own pleasure.

He says, ‘When we look at art, we look for something deep and private. If we find what we’re looking for we realise that no attempt to put it into words is adequate.’ His music was like the man himself: emotional, uncompromising, richly textured, often quite noisy  – and wonderful.

When Lyell Cresswell died on 19 March 2022 – a death hastened by Covid-19 – he had recently completed his third piano concerto and this autobiography.

The concerto completed his catalogue of more than 120 works which includes a dozen other concertos, many instrumental and vocal works, and four operas. In 2016 when he became an Arts Foundation Laureate, he said, ‘I find it impossible to tell lies when I’m writing music. I tell my story and give my view of the world.’