Anthony Payne (1936-2021) was born in London in 1936 and educated at Dulwich College and Durham University. An extensive list of commissions included four major works for the BBC Proms as well as works for the BBC Philharmonic and London Sinfonietta. His discography includes three portrait CDs of chamber music. He published books on Schoenberg, Frank Bridge, and Elgar’s Third Symphony, the completion of which, in 1997, brought him worldwide acclaim. There are now six CDs of this in the catalogue. He was Visiting Professor at Mills College, California and Composition Tutor at the New South Wales Conservatorium, Australia, and was a frequent broadcaster for BBC Radio and Television. He held Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of Birmingham, Durham and Kingston, and was a Fellow of the Royal College of Music. He was married to the soprano Jane Manning (1938-2021), with whom he formed the ensemble Jane’s Minstrels in 1988.
Newsletter April 2026
Click on the link for a roundup of Anthony Payne and his wife Jane Manning’s wills and legacies, and notices of future events and projects: J&T 2026
Signum Classics Recording of Ensemble Pieces
Jane’s Minstrels will be making a recording with Signum Classics of further works of Tony including The Undiscover’d Country (2010), Engines and Islands (1996), Sonatas and Ricercars (1970), Piano Trio (1998) and Colin Matthews’ orchestration of Tony’s final sketches for an incomplete BBCSO commission under its working title of Hollows (Abyss), Cliffs, Troughs, Fells, Gullies, Ravines.
We are extremely grateful to the following for their support of this project:
Selected performances:
2022
- 11 September 2022: Eye Music in the spectacular polychromatic tunnels and chambers of the Colourscape on Clapham Common: Jane and Tony Celebration
- 27 November 2022, Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, London
A Celebration of Anthony Payne and Jane Manning with Jane’s Minstrels preceded by a discussion event with video footage by Barrie Gavin
2021
- Spring’s Shining Wake, BBC Proms, BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins, Royal Albert Hall, London, 13 August 2021
2020
- Piano Trio performed by the Aquinas Piano Trio at Kings Place 19 January 2020
- Performance of Elgar/Payne: Symphony No. 3 Philharmonia 27 February 2020
2019
- World premiere of ‘Pictured Within: Birthday Variations for M.C.B.’ at BBC Proms, London, 13 August 2019
- Third Quartet performances, Villiers Quartet, San Diego, 15 March 2019 and Wells-next-the-Sea, 17 November 2019
2018
- World premiere of Third Quartet with the Villiers Quartet, Ripon Festival, 6 September 2018
- Third Quartet performances at Leeds University, 9 November 2018 and in Sheffield, 11 November 2018
2017
- Third performance of Elgar/Payne: Symphony No. 3 at the BBC Proms 22 August 2017
- Performance of Elgar/Payne: Symphony No. 3 BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 27 April 2017
Performances and recordings during Anthony Payne’s 80th birthday year, 2016, included:
- Performance of The Spirit’s Harvest BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 21 February 2016
- Performance and broadcast of Time’s Arrow BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins 27 February 2016 – broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s Hear and Now
- Performance and live broadcast of Visions and Journeys by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Jan Pascal Tortelier on 18 March 2016
- World Premiere of ‘Of Land, Sea and Sky’ by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Sir Andrew Davies at the BBC Proms on 26 July 2016
- CD release of orchestrations of Vaughan Williams Four Last Songs and Nocturnes on Albion label, September 2016, nominated for the 59th Grammy Awards 2017 in the ‘Best Classical Compendium’ category
- UK Tour by the Primrose Piano Quartet of Piano Quartet, November 2016
- CD release of Piano Quartet on Meridian label, December 2016
Obituaries are listed here