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Michael John Hurd (19 December 1928 – 8 August 2006) was a composer, teacher and author, principally known for his dramatic cantatas for schools and for his choral music.
As a Gloucester-born composer and scholar of poetry, with a penchant for championing the disregarded or forgotten lives of British artists, it is no surprise that Michael Hurd turned his attention to the life of Ivor Gurney as the theme of his next major project.
Michael Hurd composed sixty published scores and wrote twenty books on music, along with many articles, reviews and broadcasts. An acknowledged authority on British music, he played a major role in the revival of interest in both Ivor Gurney and Rutland Boughton.
Michael Hurd was a composer, writer and broadcaster with an international reputation. He lived for many years in Liss, and throughout that time was an enthusiastic contributor to the musical life of Petersfield and the surrounding area.
Michael’s compositions are many and varied, but perhaps the best-known to the general public are the seven ‘jazz-cantatas’ which he wrote from 1966 – 1982. Schools have always been eager to perform these, which make an instant appeal even to non-musical pupils with their witty lyrics and catchy tunes.
Aug 8, 2006 · A profile of the composer Michael Hurd (1928-2006), along with a list of their works available to browse and buy.
As a composer he is known principally for his choral music, such as the choral symphony Shepherd's Calendar (1975), the unaccompanied Five Spiritual Songs (1996) and a series of 'pop' cantatas including Swingin' Samson (1973) and Hip Hip Horatio (1974).
