Malcolm Arnold was born in Northampton in 1921. He studied at the Royal College of Music, where he was instructed in composition by Gordon Jacob and in the trumpet by Ernest Hall. In 1941, he joined the London Philarmonic Orchestra, becoming principal trumpet in 1942.At first a conscientious objector, Arnold put aside his pacifist convictions and entered the army in 1943, remaining in service until 1945. He then briefly joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra, returning to the London Philharmonic in 1946. In 1948, he was awarded the Mendelssohn Scholarship, which enabled him to spend a year of study in Italy. Thereafter he concentrated on composing as a full-time profession.
A fluent and prolific worker, Arnold has mainly written works for orchestra, including 9 symphonies, about 12 concertos and 6 sets of symphonic dances. He is also a successful writer of film scores, including 3 films for David Lean: The Sound Barrier, Hobson's Choice and especially The Bridge on the River Kwai, for which he received an Academy Award.
His operas include The Dancing Master (1951) and The Open Window (1956), and he has written several ballets. Arnold's music is considered to have an immediate appeal, especially his highly popular sets of dances. Many critics have pointed out that Arnold's music springs directly from roots in dance and song.
During the 1960s, Arnold left London to live in Cornwall, where he made an important contribution to the music of the region, notably with his popular Cornish Dances (1966). His contribution was recognised in 1969, when he was made a Bard of the Cornish Gorseth. In 1972, Arnold moved to Ireland, where he was joined by his son and second wife.
He received an honorary doctorate from Durham (1982) and Leicester (1984). In 1986, his services to British music were recognised with an Ivor Novello Award and in 1993 he received a knighthood.
