Latest news with #KnightBachelor
3 days ago
- Entertainment
Acclaimed conductor Roger Norrington dead at age 91
Roger Norrington, a conductor acclaimed for historically informed performances during more than a half-century leading orchestras in Europe and the United States, has died. He was 91. Norrington died Friday at his home, his son Tom said Saturday. Norrington lived outside Exeter, England. Norrington conducted both period-instruments and modern orchestras, asking both types to play without vibrato and usually at faster tempi than modern practice. 'He was an extraordinary dramatist. He made things happen emotionally,' Myron Lutzke, an Orchestra of St. Luke's cellist who helped persuade Norrington to become music director, said Saturday. 'He had his detractors, certainly, and some of them were some of my best friends. But for me, he got the music off the page. He made the concert experience transformative.' Born on March 16, 1934, Norrington was the son of Arthur, president of Trinity College, Oxford, and the former Edith Carver. A violinist and boy soprano in his youth, Roger attended The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Dragon School, Westminster School, Cambridge and the Royal College of Music, where he studied under conductor Adrian Boult. In 1962, Norrington founded the Schütz Choir, originally dedicated to the works of Heinrich Schütz. He became music director of Kent Opera from 1969-84, the Bournemouth Sinfonietta from 1985-89 and New York's Orchestra of St. Luke's from 1990-94. He was principal conductor of Camerata Salzburg from 1997 to 2006, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2011 and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra from 2011-16. 'Orchestras didn't generally use vibrato until the 1930s,' Norrington told The Guardian in 2007. 'It is a fashion, like smoking, which came in at about the same time. Smoking is now going, so maybe vibrato will too. ... I have discovered, all the way from Monteverdi to Mahler, is that when music is played as it should be, the sound is wonderful, the expression is wonderful and the instruments match together.' Norrington was nominated for four Grammy Awards and won in 2001 for a recording of Nicholas Maw's Violin Concerto with Joshua Bell and the London Philharmonic. Norrington retired after conducting the Royal Northern Sinfonia in an all-Hadyn concert on Nov. 18, 2021. 'I have enjoyed every minute of over 50 years of making music with some of the most wonderful and talented musicians in the world," he said in a statement. 'The time has come to step off the podium.' His first marriage, to Susan McLean May, ended in a divorce in 1982. He married the choreographer Kay Lawrence in the mid-1980s; she died last year. Norrington was made a Knight Bachelor in 1997.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Acclaimed conductor Roger Norrington dead at age 91
Roger Norrington, a conductor acclaimed for historically informed performances during more than a half-century leading orchestras in Europe and the United States, has died. He was 91. Norrington died Friday at his home, his son Tom said Saturday. Norrington lived outside Exeter, England. Norrington conducted both period-instruments and modern orchestras, asking both types to play without vibrato and usually at faster tempi than modern practice. 'He was an extraordinary dramatist. He made things happen emotionally,' Myron Lutzke, an Orchestra of St. Luke's cellist who helped persuade Norrington to become music director, said Saturday. 'He had his detractors, certainly, and some of them were some of my best friends. But for me, he got the music off the page. He made the concert experience transformative.' Born on March 16, 1934, Norrington was the son of Arthur, president of Trinity College, Oxford, and the former Edith Carver. A violinist and boy soprano in his youth, Roger attended The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Dragon School, Westminster School, Cambridge and the Royal College of Music, where he studied under conductor Adrian Boult. In 1962, Norrington founded the Schütz Choir, originally dedicated to the works of Heinrich Schütz. He became music director of Kent Opera from 1969-84, the Bournemouth Sinfonietta from 1985-89 and New York's Orchestra of St. Luke's from 1990-94. He was principal conductor of Camerata Salzburg from 1997 to 2006, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2011 and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra from 2011-16. 'Orchestras didn't generally use vibrato until the 1930s,' Norrington told The Guardian in 2007. 'It is a fashion, like smoking, which came in at about the same time. Smoking is now going, so maybe vibrato will too. … I have discovered, all the way from Monteverdi to Mahler, is that when music is played as it should be, the sound is wonderful, the expression is wonderful and the instruments match together.' Norrington was nominated for four Grammy Awards and won in 2001 for a recording of Nicholas Maw's Violin Concerto with Joshua Bell and the London Philharmonic. Norrington retired after conducting the Royal Northern Sinfonia in an all-Hadyn concert on Nov. 18, 2021. 'I have enjoyed every minute of over 50 years of making music with some of the most wonderful and talented musicians in the world,' he said in a statement. 'The time has come to step off the podium.' His first marriage, to Susan McLean May, ended in a divorce in 1982. He married the choreographer Kay Lawrence in the mid-1980s; she died last year. Norrington was made a Knight Bachelor in 1997. He is survived by Tom and two children from his first marriage, Ben and Amy.
Scotsman
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Arise Sir David Beckham, for honourable services to queueing
David Beckham has been made a Knight Bachelor in the King's Birthday Honours list, for services to Sport and to Charity I'm sure I'm not the only person wondering what Sir David Beckham did to merit receiving a knighthood in the King's Birthday honours last weekend, which was not actually the King's birthday. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sir Andy Murray won two Wimbledon titles and was World number one; Sir Chris Hoy won multiple Olympic golds. Sir Bradley Wiggins... OK, probably better not open that particular can of worms. All that Beckham has done to earn his ennoblement was that, unlike Holly Willoughby, he queued for 17 hours to see the late Queen lying in state, They're surely not handing out gongs for standing in queues now, so I can only guess he was knighted for not being Phillip Schofield. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hot on the heels of this bizarre announcement came more inexplicable news. I discovered that his son Brooklyn Beckham has written a book. What's in it is anyone's guess. Brooklyn himself obviously won't have a clue as it's highly unlikely he had any more input other than a Zoom call to some ghost writer who made the rest of it up. Brooklyn's mother is, of course, former Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham. Who has allegedly written two books. I don't know if she's read either of them. Whether you liked this particular girl group or not, it was impossible to ignore them. Everyone had a favourite Spice Girl. For some it was Mel B or Scary Spice because of her in-your-face attitude, while others preferred Gerri Halliwell or Ginger Spice because she seemed a bit of a laugh. Other people would say Emma Bunton, otherwise known as Baby Spice was their favourite. This was usually for somewhat dubious reasons. I personally liked Mel C, aka Sporty Spice, because she was the only one who could actually sing. Posh Spice was nobody's favourite, mainly because she never actually appeared to do anything. She seemed to be there solely to make up the numbers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Which is pretty much what her husband did for Manchester United and England. He was a uniquely limited player. Anyway, he has now been knighted, for his services to Heat magazine. The more pictures of him that appear in the pages of Closer and Hello, the less column inches are devoted to Harry and Meghan. I'm guessing that will have pleased the King on someone else's birthday.
Glasgow Times
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Victoria Beckham says she ‘could not be prouder' of David Beckham's knighthood
The former England captain, who played for his country 115 times, was honoured for his services to sport and charity. He married Lady Beckham, also known as Posh Spice, in 1999 and the pair share four children together, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper. In a post shared on Saturday on Instagram, Lady Beckham said: 'You've always been my knight in shining armour, but now it's official. Sir @davidbeckham!!! 'What an honour, I couldn't be prouder of you. Your dedication to the things that matter most — your country, your work, your passion, and most of all, your family — has never wavered. 'The way you've touched so many lives over the years with kindness and humility speaks volumes about the man you are and continues to inspire us everyday. 'But above all else, I'm so, so proud to call you mine. I love you so much xxxx.' The football star, who was formerly appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003, responded to the post by expressing his love for his family, mentioning each of his children and adding 'I love you all'. Sir David first made his Premier League debut for United in 1995 and was part of the team that earned a dramatic Champions League final victory in 1999 when they beat Bayern Munich with two late goals. David and Victoria Beckham at King Charles's Gloucestershire estate, Highgrove House in Tetbury, Gloucestershire (Finnbarr Webster/PA) In total he scored 85 goals and collected honours including six Premier League titles and two FA Cups as a footballer, before retiring from the sport in 2013. Alongside his footballing career, the sports star is also a supporter of a number of charity causes including being a founding member of the charity Malaria No More UK's leadership council. Sir David was also named as an ambassador last year for the King's Foundation, an educational charity established by the King in 1990 and has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the humanitarian aid organisation Unicef since 2005. In a statement to the PA News Agency, Sir David said: 'Growing up in east London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour. David Beckham who has been made a Knight Bachelor in the King's Birthday Honours list for services to sport and charity (Toby Melville/PA) 'To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career and literally a boyhood dream come true. 'Off the pitch I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Britain around the world and work with incredible organisations that are supporting communities in need and inspiring the next generation. 'I'm so lucky to be able to do the work that I do and I'm grateful to be recognised for work that gives me so much fulfilment. 'It will take a little while for the news to sink in but I'm immensely proud and it's such an emotional moment for me to share with my family.' The businessman is also the co-founder of Studio99, the production company behind the hit Netflix series, Beckham, and is a part-owner of MLS side Inter Miami. He is also known for his fashion and was named most stylish man of the year by GQ magazine in 1998, has modelled for the likes of H&M, Armani and Boss, and was appointed ambassadorial president of the British Fashion Council (BFC) in 2018 where he assisted in its search for young British talent from all backgrounds. Sir David is not the only fashion star in the family, with his wife Lady Beckham launching an eponymous fashion label in 2008 followed by a beauty brand in 2019.
Western Telegraph
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Victoria Beckham says she ‘could not be prouder' of David Beckham's knighthood
The former England captain, who played for his country 115 times, was honoured for his services to sport and charity. He married Lady Beckham, also known as Posh Spice, in 1999 and the pair share four children together, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper. In a post shared on Saturday on Instagram, Lady Beckham said: 'You've always been my knight in shining armour, but now it's official. Sir @davidbeckham!!! 'What an honour, I couldn't be prouder of you. Your dedication to the things that matter most — your country, your work, your passion, and most of all, your family — has never wavered. 'The way you've touched so many lives over the years with kindness and humility speaks volumes about the man you are and continues to inspire us everyday. 'But above all else, I'm so, so proud to call you mine. I love you so much xxxx.' The football star, who was formerly appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003, responded to the post by expressing his love for his family, mentioning each of his children and adding 'I love you all'. Sir David first made his Premier League debut for United in 1995 and was part of the team that earned a dramatic Champions League final victory in 1999 when they beat Bayern Munich with two late goals. David and Victoria Beckham at King Charles's Gloucestershire estate, Highgrove House in Tetbury, Gloucestershire (Finnbarr Webster/PA) In total he scored 85 goals and collected honours including six Premier League titles and two FA Cups as a footballer, before retiring from the sport in 2013. Alongside his footballing career, the sports star is also a supporter of a number of charity causes including being a founding member of the charity Malaria No More UK's leadership council. Sir David was also named as an ambassador last year for the King's Foundation, an educational charity established by the King in 1990 and has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the humanitarian aid organisation Unicef since 2005. In a statement to the PA News Agency, Sir David said: 'Growing up in east London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour. David Beckham who has been made a Knight Bachelor in the King's Birthday Honours list for services to sport and charity (Toby Melville/PA) 'To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career and literally a boyhood dream come true. 'Off the pitch I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Britain around the world and work with incredible organisations that are supporting communities in need and inspiring the next generation. 'I'm so lucky to be able to do the work that I do and I'm grateful to be recognised for work that gives me so much fulfilment. 'It will take a little while for the news to sink in but I'm immensely proud and it's such an emotional moment for me to share with my family.' The businessman is also the co-founder of Studio99, the production company behind the hit Netflix series, Beckham, and is a part-owner of MLS side Inter Miami. He is also known for his fashion and was named most stylish man of the year by GQ magazine in 1998, has modelled for the likes of H&M, Armani and Boss, and was appointed ambassadorial president of the British Fashion Council (BFC) in 2018 where he assisted in its search for young British talent from all backgrounds. Sir David is not the only fashion star in the family, with his wife Lady Beckham launching an eponymous fashion label in 2008 followed by a beauty brand in 2019.
