Orchestrations

Sir Henry Wood (1869-1944) is one of the most beloved figures in British musical history. For half a century he conducted the popular Promenade Concerts, which after his death were officially named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts but today are called the BBC Proms. Woods was influential in providing access to classical concerts to a working-class audience that had formerly been effectively excluded, and at the same time he greatly raised the standards of orchestral playing in England. While introducing the public to a great range of orchestral music, he also championed music by living British composers. Of special interest is Wood's orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition, which he withdrew after Ravel's version became more popular.