John Francis (17)

John Francis (February 1908, London — 1992) was a British classical flutist and music educator, husband of harpsichordist Millicent Silver (1905—1986), with whom they co-founded the London Harpsichord Ensemble in 1945, and father of oboist Sarah Francis (b. 1938) and operatic soprano Hannah Francis. Between 1954 and 1980, Francis was a professor of flute at the Royal College of Music in London, awarded the Fellowship (FRCM) in 1971. Some of his notable students include James Galway and Susan Milan. John was born in an artistic family — named after his maternal grandfather, John Francis Barnett (1837—1916), a Victorian pianist and composer, a friend of Edvard Grieg and Sir Arthur Sullivan, and the RCM co-founder; his mother was a prolific miniature painter, Alice May Cook (1876—1960). John learned the piano in early childhood but only picked up the flute when he was seventeen. In 1927, John F. Cook enrolled in the Royal College of Music, earning a scholarship by his sophomore year, and trained under Robert Murchie and Marcel Moyse. His fellow RCM students were Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Imogen Holst, Cecil James, Alan G. Melville, Leonard Isaacs, and Arthur Gleghorn. After graduating in the early 1930s, John Francis briefly worked for BBC in Northern Ireland. In 1932, he married a fellow RCM alumna, Millicent Silver. They returned to London, where John freelanced for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, playing third flute in the LPO's inaugural concert under Sir Thomas Beecham. After the Second World War, John Francis performed as the first flute in Benjamin Britten's The English Opera Group (between 1946 and 1956). He participated in premieres of "The Rape of Lucretia," "Turn of the Screw," and "Albert Herring," and played at Aldeburgh Festival. In 1945, John Francis and Millicent Silver established the London Harpsichord Ensemble, the first contemporary chamber group solely focused on authentic early harpsichord music. They had a prolific career, with numerous concert tours, radio broadcasts, and a critically acclaimed concert series at the 1950 Edinburgh Festival for Bach's bi-centennial. In 1953, Francis presented the debut performance of Lennox Berkeley's Flute Concerto, written for him, at BBC Proms. John Francis and Millicent Silver retired from their stage careers in early 1981, passing over the London Harpsichord Ensemble's direction to their eldest daughter, Sarah Francis. After Silver died in 1986, John re-married the following year to Lorna Lewis, a former editor of Pan, the Journal of the British Flute Society.