British composer George Lloyd was born in June 1913 and died in July 1998. A child prodigy, Lloyd began composing at the age of 9 and his first symphony, written at the age of 19, was premiered by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 1933 with the composer conducting. However, serving in the Royal Marines as a bandsman during World War II, he suffered physical and mental trauma, and after taking time to recover was never able to reconcile himself with ongoing classical developments such as 12-tone music. Throughout the last 15 years, the George Lloyd Society has worked consistently to build his reputation. His works include 12 symphonies, four piano concertos, two violin concertos, a cello concerto and three operas.

The British Library has acquired the complete collection of George Lloyd’s original music manuscripts, including over 130 scores, many of which were personal copies. The composer’s centenary takes place on June 28 and is marked with a number of events throughout the year – a performance of HMS Trinidad March at the Last Night of the Proms, a late night BBC Prom performance of the Requiem, and a ‘Composer of the Week’ feature on BBC Radio 3. Lloyd’s Symphony No 4 will be on public display in the Treasure Room of the British Library for the next six months.