We were saddened to hear of the recent death of Brendan Beales. Working with the RPO for over 30 years, Brendan provided insightful programme notes for countless performances by the Orchestra and many of our audiences will be very familiar with his words. In addition to his writing work, Brendan was also a composer and involved in music education, having worked with the Orchestra’s community and education team in its early years. We will fondly remember him as a fantastically knowledgeable colleague who played a deeply valued role in opening up orchestral music to many thousands of people through his informative writing.