MUSIC

Half a century has passed since the death in July 1971 of Alan Rawsthorne, one of the best-liked and best-regarded composers of his time, not least by Proms audiences and organisers.

The relationship began in 1942 with the première of his scintillating First Piano Concerto. ‘A work I would gladly listen to daily until Christmas,’ wrote one contemporary critic. It quickly became a Proms favourite, chalking up nine outings in 25 years, three