Views from Mont Juic

Extract

As one gets older, remote events and experiences, even from childhood, are more easily recalled than those of the middle distance. But although for me 1936 belongs to that middle distance, certain events have singled it out in my memory. It was in that year that I went to Barcelona for the festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music. One of the two selected British works was an Overture of mine (since withdrawn); the other was Benjamin Britten's Suite for violin and piano, superbly played by Antonio Brosa. As I had been living abroad for some years, I had not met Britten before. I immediately became aware of his extraordinary musical ability and his immense knowledge of music. Since he was subsequently to have such a profound influence on my life and musical development, that first meeting would in any case have made the year memorable for me.