Michael Tillett 1922-2009

Michael Tillett, the much-loved teacher, and the life-long editor and amanuensis of Michael Tippett, died peacefully in his sleep on 20 December.  Everyone at Schott Music, especially the London office, would like to pay tribute to a wonderful colleague of extraordinary energy and professionalism - and constant good humour.

Michael Tippett describes him (in a letter dated 1954): 'Michael used to be a student of mine at Morley [College] during the war, and is now on the staff at Rugby.  He made the vocal score of The Midsummer Marriage, over five years of arduous work.  And is the only other person in the world who knows the music as I do - or even better!' (from Selected Letters of Michael Tippett, Faber and Faber 2005).

From the late 1940's, Tillett edited every Tippett score, making the vocal and short scores where necessary, deciphering his increasingly impossible hand and understanding the cryptic instructions. Tippett always kept to a strict schedule and the demands on Tillett, as the composer recognised, could indeed be arduous.  By the end, Tippett's eyesight had almost completely gone and Tillett wrote out most of the score of his final orchestral work, The Rose Lake.

But Tillett remained unfailingly cheerful and punctual.  He brought his tireless enthusiasm to everything he did: he taught at Rugby School for many years, was a resident choral accompanist at Dartington Summer School from its early years at Bryanston, and conducted innumerable choirs.

We will miss him very much indeed.