Great Scott
‘‘Debussy called Cyril Scott ‘one of the rarest artists of the present generation’ ’’
His gravestone in Pevensey churchyard bears the motto: ‘Here lie the ashes of Cyril Scott; Musical composer, poet & author; 27 Sept. 1879 – 31 Dec. 1970; Unity in Diversity’.
Fifty years after his death, what are we to make of Cyril Meir Scott? For a succinct introduction to his life and achievements, here is Percy Scholes in the Oxford Companion to Music, writing when Scott was still living: ‘He is a highly capable pianist and writes effectively for his instrument, but his work covers almost all branches, including orchestral, chamber, solo vocal, choral, and operatic.’
So far, so unremarkable, but the following might raise an eyebrow: ‘His father, a business man, was an ardent and advanced scholar of New Testament Greek, in touch with and assisting some of the foremost authorities on the subject. [Cyril Scott] himself, a composer, is a student and writer of mystical poetry, a theosophist, and a bold promulgator of theories of art and life; booklet on cider vinegar as a cure for obesity, &c).’
