My father Leonard Salzedo was a student at Royal College of Music (RCM) in the 1940s and I was delighted to watch this 2024 RCM Christmas video with highlights of the Nutcracker arranged by and for RCM students, because both the RCM Concert Hall and the Nutcracker had a particular significance for my father.

The RCM Concert Hall is where in 1943, he received his Tagore gold medal from Princess Elizabeth, the future queen.

Playing the celesta

The Nutcracker’s significance for my father is firstly as a player – but not playing the violin.

The Nutcracker’s most famous piece is the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy featuring the wonderfully ethereal keyboard instrument the celesta. It’s a piece pretty well everyone knows. And in one particular recording my father is playing it!

In 1959, when the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) were recording Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no 4 and the Nutcracker Suite, the celesta player didn’t show up.

Conductor Thomas Beecham turned to the orchestra and asked ‘can anyone play the celesta?’ and my father, one of the violinists, volunteered.  It only took one take – he played it perfectly. The LP and CD (issued in 1990) are still available on 2^ndhand sites.

Conducting the Scottish Ballet

Then, 50 years ago in 1974, my father was music director of Scottish Ballet, and they were performing Nutcracker for Christmas. My mother and I joined him in Edinburgh for the Christmas holidays and attended the Christmas Day performance. I can still remember my pride and pleasure as I watched him conduct. He had such a feel for and understanding of the work.

For the Scottish Ballet performances, my father had arranged the score for smaller orchestra as he did for other ballets. These are available at Pocket Publications

About Leonard Salzedo

This is the 20 minute film Leonard Salzedo A Life Composed in Music which I made in 2021 for the centenary of his birth.

This is a video of the Albany Consort 2024 concert performance of the Leonard Salzedo Harpsichord Concerto featuring cousin Jonathan Salzedo playing the harpsichord and including an introduction by me (total running time 26 Minutes).

Music inspires and connects us

Wishing you all happy holidays full of music: something that brings people together in peace and harmony. As I said in last year’s Christmas post, I never want to lose my belief that, whatever life throws at us, however bleak the times, music has the power to create community, connection and love.

May 2025 bring greater peace, justice, and prosperity, and more healing music.

More information about Leonard Salzedo

Join the Leonard Salzedo Society here £15 pa.

The main Leonard Salzedo website is here

Email me at calsalzedo@gmail.com if you are interested in playing his music: many scores are available.