One of Sheva Collection’s big success stories has been CHRISTOPHER HOWELL’s championing of the music of Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. As a logical continuation, Christopher Howell now turns his attention to Stanford’s Scottish contemporary, Sir Alexander Campbell Mackenzie (1847-1935). The three CDs covering his complete works for solo piano will be released over the next few months. When Alexander Campbell Mackenzie was born in Edinburgh in 1847, there had been music on the male side of the family for at least two generations. Grandfather John (1797-1852) had been a violinist, as was his son Alexander (1819-1857). Alexander senior had studied in London and Dresden and reached a good professional standard. He was also a composer – his works
include an operetta – and a prolific arranger of Scots folk tunes. Mackenzie’s mother, Jessie Campbell, came from a family of tradesmen. They did not look kindly upon Jessie’s marriage to a musician. Perhaps Alexander senior hoped to placate them by adding the Campbell nameto his own when naming his first child. Alexander junior was the first of six children – his sister
Isabella was the mother of the celebrated novelist Rebecca West.