Walton, Sir William

Walton, Sir William (Turner)

(born March 29, 1902, Oldham, Lancashire, Eng.—died March 8, 1983, Ischia, Italy) British composer. His parents were musicians, and he learned to sing and play piano and violin early. He established his reputation at age 19 by setting to jazzy music the whimsical poetry of Edith Sitwell (see Sitwell family); Façade (1923) premiered with the poet reading her poetry through a megaphone. Walton's later works include Belshazzar's Feast (1931), two symphonies (1935, 1960), and concertos for viola, violin, and cello (1929, 1939, 1956). His scores for Laurence Olivier's films of Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1947), and Richard III (1955) became well known; he also wrote coronation marches for George VI and Elizabeth II.