Composer and arranger Albert W Ketèlbey is now almost unknown except for his work Bells Across the Meadows, but until the time of the Second World War, he strode the country’s musical stage like a giant of lightmusicalentertainment. In 1929, he was declared ‘Britain’s greatest composer’ according to the number of performances of his works. Over the course of his career, he was a church Organist, musical director at London’sVaudevilleTheatre, editor to several music publishing firms and Music Director of the Columbia Gramophone Company.His most popular works are a series of Orchestral tone poems, like this one based on a verse from his own poem, In aMonasteryGarden. The simplified version was prepared by the composer.
