# Robin Orr

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Scottish composer (1909–2006)

**Robert Kemsley** (**Robin**) **Orr** [CBE](/source/Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (2 June 1909 – 9 April 2006) was a Scottish organist and composer.[1]

## Life

Born in [Brechin](/source/Brechin), and educated at [Loretto School](/source/Loretto_School),[1] he studied the organ at the [Royal College of Music](/source/Royal_College_of_Music) in London under [Walter Galpin Alcock](/source/Walter_Galpin_Alcock), and piano with [Arthur Benjamin](/source/Arthur_Benjamin).[2] He then continued at [Pembroke College, Cambridge](/source/Pembroke_College%2C_Cambridge) under [Cyril Rootham](/source/Cyril_Rootham). Following further studies with [Alfredo Casella](/source/Alfredo_Casella) and [Nadia Boulanger](/source/Nadia_Boulanger) in Paris he returned to Cambridge in 1938 as organist of [St John's College](/source/Choir_of_St_John's_College%2C_Cambridge), succeeding Rootham.[2] During his war service in the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) [Herbert Howells](/source/Herbert_Howells) deputised for him.

After [World War II](/source/World_War_II) he became a lecturer at Cambridge and a professor at the Royal College of Music, then [Gardiner Professor of Music](/source/Gardiner_Professor_of_Music%2C_Glasgow) at [Glasgow University](/source/Glasgow_University) from 1956 to 1965.[3] While in Glasgow he worked with [Alexander Gibson](/source/Alexander_Gibson_(conductor)) to set up the [Musica Viva](/source/Musica_Nova_Festival%2C_Glasgow) contemporary music festival, promoting the work of (among others) [Stockhausen](/source/Stockhausen), [Schoenberg](/source/Arnold_Schoenberg), [Stravinsky](/source/Stravinsky), [Iain Hamilton](/source/Iain_Hamilton_(composer)), [Thea Musgrave](/source/Thea_Musgrave), and Orr himself.[4] Gibson also asked Orr to help him form [Scottish Opera](/source/Scottish_Opera) in 1960, and Orr served as the founding chairman between 1962 and 1976.

He returned to Cambridge in 1965 as [Professor of Music](/source/Professor_of_Music%2C_Cambridge_University), a post he held until his retirement in 1976 (later Emeritus).[5] He was made a [CBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) in 1972.[6] Robin Orr married Margaret Mace, the daughter of Egyptologist [Arthur Cruttenden Mace](/source/Arthur_Cruttenden_Mace), in December 1937. They had three children. In 1979 they divorced and Orr married again, to Doris Winny-Meyer.[7] An "entertaining if somewhat personally reticent" autobiography, *Musical Chairs*, was published in 1999.[8][9]

He was not related to [Buxton Orr](/source/Buxton_Orr) (1924-1997) – also a Scottish composer.

## Music

The overture *The Prospect of Whitby* (after the [London pub](/source/Prospect_of_Whitby)) attracted some attention in 1948.[10] But it was the *Symphony in One Movement* (1960–63), first championed by [Norman Del Mar](/source/Norman_Del_Mar) and the [BBC Scottish Orchestra](/source/BBC_Scottish_Orchestra), but soon taken up and recorded by the [Royal Scottish National Orchestra](/source/Royal_Scottish_National_Orchestra) under Alexander Gibson, that put Orr on the map as a composer.[11] Gibson subsequently conducted the work at the [BBC Proms](/source/BBC_Proms) in 1966.[12] There were two further symphonies (1970 and 1978), both also one movement works. He wrote three operas: the "pithy, socially perceptive" *Full Circle* (commissioned by [Scottish Television](/source/Scottish_Television) for Scottish Opera in 1968),[13] the "tense and powerful" *Hermiston* ([Edinburgh Festival](/source/Edinburgh_Festival) 1975)[14] and the "witty, artful comic opera" *On the Razzle* (1988), based on [Tom Stoppard](/source/On_the_Razzle_(play))'s play.[15][16][2] And Orr also made a substantial contribution to Anglican church music, much of it written for St John's College. Notable is the anthem *Come and let yourselves be built* (1961).[7][17]

A CD of his orchestral music, including the *Italian Overture* (1952), *From the Book of Philip Sparrow* for soprano and strings setting [John Skelton](/source/John_Skelton_(poet)) (1969), *Rhapsody* for string orchestra (1958) and *Journeys and Places* for soprano and orchestra setting [Edwin Muir](/source/Edwin_Muir) (1971) was issued in 2000 to mark the composer's 90th birthday.[18][19] A further CD of his chamber music, including [Max Rostal](/source/Max_Rostal)'s historic 1948 recording of the Sonatina for violin and piano (1941), as well as other archive recordings of the Violin Sonata (1947), *Serenade* for string trio (1948, rev. 1989) and Duo for violin and cello in one movement (1953, rev. 1965), was issued for the centenary in 2009.[20] The chamber music shows a growing maturity of compositional technique and intensity of feeling, especially after the war (for instance in the slow *dolente* movement of the 1947 Violin Sonata). The Serenade shows the growing influence on Central European expressionism on his music. The Duo for violin and cello is so dense it sometimes sounds almost like a string quartet.[21]

The *Sinfonietta Helvetica* (1990) was his final orchestral work. It written in Switzerland, where he had a second home near [Klosters](/source/Klosters), to mark the 700th anniversary of the Swiss confederation.[7] It was first performed at the [Glasgow Royal Concert Hall](/source/Glasgow_Royal_Concert_Hall) on 6 December 1991 by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Feodor Glushchenko.[22]

## Selected works

- Sonatina for violin and piano (1941)

- Violin Sonata (1947)

- *Serenade* for string trio (1948, rev. 1989)

- *The Prospect of Whitby*, orchestral overture (1948)

- *Italian Overture*, in orchestral and chamber versions (1952/1960)

- Duo for violin and cello (1953, rev. 1965)

- *Spring Cantata* for soloist, chorus, percussion and strings (1955)

- *Rhapsody* for string orchestra (1956)

- *Come and let yourselves be built*, choral anthem (1961)

- Symphony (No. 1) in one movement (1963)

- *Full Circle*, television opera (1968)

- *From the Book of Philip Sparrow* for mezzo-soprano and strings (1969)

- Symphony No. 2 (1970)

- *Journeys and Place* for mezzo-soprano and strings (1971)

- *Hermiston*, opera (1975)

- Symphony No. 3 (1978)

- *Verses from Ogden Nash* for voice and strings (1978)

- *On the Razzle*, opera (1988)

- *Sinfonietta Helvetica* (1990)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-inde_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-inde_1-1) ["Professor Robin Orr"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/professor-robin-orr-473912.html). *independent.co.uk*. 12 April 2006. Retrieved 22 June 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-grove_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-grove_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-grove_2-2) [Griffiths, Paul. 'Orr, Robin \[Robert\] (Kemsley)' in Grove Music Online](https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000020498?rskey=cV0CQD)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** McDonald, Tim (14 April 2006). ["Obituary: Robin Orr"](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/apr/14/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 22 June 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Wilson, Conrad. [*Alex: The Authorised Biography of Sir Alexander Gibson*](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alex-Authorised-Biography-Alexander-Gibson/dp/1851585745) (1993)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Kemp, Ian. 'Robin Orr at 90', in *The Musical Times,* Spring 1990, pp. 11-17](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1193483)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Obituary, *Daily Telegraph*, 15 May 2006](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1518361/Robin-Orr.html)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bio_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bio_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-bio_7-2) McLeod, John. ['Orr, Robert Kemsley \[Robin\]'](https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-97796?docPos=43) in *The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Obituary, *The Times*, 17 April 2006](https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/scotland-travel/robin-orr-sjvpxq6cszv)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40499298)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Recorded on [*Overtures from the British Isles Vol. 3*](https://musicwebinternational.com/2026/01/overtures-from-the-british-isles-vol-3-chandos/), Chandos CHAN20351 (2026)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [Fricker, Simpson, Orr Symphonies, reviewed at *MusicWeb International*](http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Dec02/Fricker.htm)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [BBC Proms archive, 8 August 1966](https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e35d4f)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** [*Full Circle*, Faber Music](http://www.fabermusic.com/repertoire/full-circle)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** [*Hermiston*, Opera Scotland](http://www.operascotland.org/tour/1476/Hermiston-1975)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** [*On the Razzle*, Wise Music](https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/35289/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** [Cole, Hugo. 'Orr, Robin' in *Grove Music Online (Opera)*](https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-5000903682)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** [*Music and Letters*, Volume 45 No 1, January 1964, p 90–91](https://academic.oup.com/ml/article-abstract/45/1/90/1100956?redirectedFrom=PDF)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** [Robin Orr, Orchestral Works, reviewed at *MusicWeb International*](http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2000/nov00/orr.htm)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Kemp, Ian. ['Robin Orr at 90: Age of Gold'](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1193483?seq=1) in *Musical Times* No 1866, Spring 1999, p 11-17

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** [Robin Orr, Centenary Tribute, reviewed at MusicWeb International](http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/Oct09/Orr_ghcd2350.htm)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** Magil, Joseph. Review of Guild 2350 in *American Record Guide*, May/June 2010, p 130

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** [*Radio Times*, issue 3545, 21 November 1991, p 104](https://web.archive.org/web/20240220081841/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/4e7d9bd60ff74421a734e3ac3a126f03)

## External links

- [Symphony in One Movement](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FcBlU8xDY4). Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Gibson (Conductor)

Preceded by Cyril Rootham Director of Music, St John's College, Cambridge 1938–1951 Succeeded by George Guest

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Robin Orr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Orr) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Orr?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.