MALCOLM ARNOLD - DOCUMENT SIGNED CIRCA 1963 - HFSID 146857

MALCOLM ARNOLD
The British composer with a dubious past signs his name in black ink on this tax form from 1963
Document signed: "Malcolm Auld", in black ink. 7½x9½, 1 page, front and back. Tax document titled Claim for Allowances for the Year 1962-1963. Traditional yearly income tax form. MALCOLM ARNOLD (1921-2006) was a British classical composer who gained a popular reputation for composing the music for film scores, the theater, symphonies and the ballet. He was heavily influenced by Louis Armstrong when he was 12 years old and quickly picked up the trumpet; five years later he was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Royal College of Music. After years of being a professional trumpet player, Arnold became solely devoted to composing and scored several films and documentaries, including The Bridge on the River Kwai. In his later years, the composer gained a reputation for being rather unpleasant and often drunk. After two divorces and two suicide attempts, Arnold was admitted to a hospital where he was treated for depression and alcoholism. Pulling through, he completed his 9th and final symphony in 1986 and even regained some esteem from the public, receiving a standing ovation during a triumphant appearance at the Royal Albert Hall for his Guitar Concerto. On the day of his death in 2006, his last work The Three Musketeers was premiered in the Northern Ballet to much praise. Edges lightly toned and worn. Irregular left edge from binding. Two binding holes in top margin, not affecting signature. Otherwise, fine condition.