On 6^th May 2000, 24 years ago, my father Leonard Salzedo died at home in Leighton Buzzard, his wife Pat with him. He was cremated on 15^th May at Crown Hill Crematorium Milton Keynes, a well-attended funeral, where Ann Hooley, violinist, played from Leonard’s Partita for solo violin, and she and Elizabeth Turnbull, violist, played a movement of the Sonata for Violin and Viola that he had written for them: poignant and inspiring to hear some of his own music played live. It filled the chapel with his energy. The funeral ended with a recording of the punchy Square Dance from the Witch Boy, which Leonard himself conducted.

Leonard’s garden

The wake afterwards was in the garden of his and Pat’s Leighton Buzzard home. My father loved their garden. There was a water feature, and soon after they moved in they’d planted a silver birch tree. Leonard adored Sibelius’ music and one year he and Pat visited Ainola, Sibelius’ house, named after his wife Aino, which is surrounded by silver birches. From then on, Leonard always referred to it as Sibelius’ tree. He looked out on the tree from the room where he composed.

The Wake

The day of his funeral was a hot day and, when we got back to the house and walked out into the shady garden, a breeze rustling the silver birch leaves, the water feature tinkling, its tranquillity enveloped us. My parents had had lots of parties in that garden, and this one, remembering, grieving and celebrating Leonard was wonderful. He would have loved it had he been there – I feel that in spirit he was.

Listen to Leonard’s music and find out more about him and the Leonard Salzedo Society

Richard Crabtree will be playing Salzedo’s Viola Concerto with pianist Irina Lyakhovskaya, at a free concert 1.05pm lunchtime on Tuesday 4^th June 2024 at the Old Royal Naval College Chapel in Greenwich. I’ll be there.

Here is where you can join the Leonard Salzedo Society: it costs £15 pa.

This is the 20-minute film Leonard Salzedo A Life Composed in Music I made in 2021 his centenary year.

Here is more information about Leonard Salzedo including a list of his works and recordings.