On this, the 26^th anniversary of my father Leonard Salzedo’s death, I am again celebrating friendship. As I said in the New Year post, along with the quality of my father’s music, it is friendship that keeps the Leonard Salzedo Society going. For more information, you can go to this website which includes a catalogue of his works. Scores are available to play, CDs to buy. You can also join the Leonard Salzedo Society and receive an introductory CD.

Leslie Howard

Pianist and music scholar Leslie Howard met my parents in the late 70s and became a close family friend. He premiered some of my father’s piano works, including Pardes Rimonim, written for him, which he also played at the Leonard Salzedo 2001 Commemorative Concert at the Purcell Room, South Bank Centre.

Pardes Rimonim, the Garden of Pomegranates, is the title of a sixteenth century Kabbalistic text by Moses Cordovero. The Kabbalah is an esoteric Hebrew tradition of the mystical interpretation of the Old Testament.

Oh what a beautiful mornin’

Leslie is a phenomenal musician, as his recording of all Liszt’s solo piano works testifies. And he was such an engaging and fun guest at family parties. I remember him sitting down at the family baby grand on a wonderfully sunny day, and playing, Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’! We all sang along, my father not exactly singing – he always said he couldn’t – but intoning an, of course, perfectly-pitched bass line.

Serious revival

Leslie is interviewed in the 2021 film Leonard Salzedo A Life Composed in Music where he makes the point that Leonard’s music is due a serious revival. We are working on that!

Alison Young and Monica Ferguson

Another performer at the Leonard Salzedo 2001 Commemorative Concert and interviewee in the 2021 film Leonard Salzedo A Life Composed in Music was Alison Young.

Alison Young and Monica Ferguson, originally from Scotland, live in Leighton Buzzard. They met Leonard in the 1990s, when Monica was responsible for music programming at Leighton Buzzard Theatre and commissioned a work from him – Eve’s Apologie – for mezzo-soprano, viola and strings. And mezzo-soprano Alison Young sang it with the East of England orchestra (now Sinfonia Viva), its premiere made possible through funding from the Eastern Orchestral Board.

Monica remembers how organised and efficient Leonard was. It was early on in her career and helped her understand the whole process of commissioning. She was able to trust him to produce something good within the time agreed. I know he prided himself on never being late with a commission. Before composing the piece he met Alison and, to quote her, asked ‘hugely practical questions’ about the range of her voice. When the piece was written, he took her through the work, explaining his intention and giving her tips on phrasing.

Eve’s Apologie

Eve’s Apologie is a 17^th Century text by Aemilia Lanyer arguing that Adam was as responsible as Eve for the fall from grace and the expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Using irony and sarcasm she makes a serious case that women have been unfairly blamed and for women to be considered as complements to men.

The Stables

Monica and Alison both now work at the Stables, Milton Keynes, the music venue and charity founded by Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, who my parents also knew, my father having worked with John in the 1960s, on the LP Collaboration, with the piece Rendezvous for Jazz Band and Symphony Orchestra, co-written by Leonard and David Lindup

Christmas quizzes and charades

Like Leslie, Alison and Monica were frequent guests at family parties, especially as Alison’s birthday was the same day as my father’s. We shared many Boxing Day get-togethers with them and their families, where, as well as a music quiz devised by my father, we would often play charades. My mother Pat, with her extensive knowledge of books and films, was a demon charades player: mischievous and inventive, especially when, unable to stand for long in later life, she gave other people clues to perform!

Pat Salzedo

A fitting place to end this post because Leonard’s best friend throughout their marriage, the day in 1945 celebrated in this blog post, was his wife Pat.

Caroline Salzedo

More information

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View the 20 minute film Leonard Salzedo A Life Composed in Music

Leonard Salzedo website with a catalogue of his works and search facility