Coordinates: 51°30′26″N 0°07′39″W / 51.5073°N 0.12755°W / 51.5073; -0.12755

Charing Cross
The Victorian replacement of the original Eleanor Cross; from which the area derives its name.
Charing Cross  Charing Cross shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ302804
London borough	Westminster
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	WC2
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Cities of London and Westminster
London Assembly	West Central
List of places: UK • England • London

Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian statue of King Charles I. Since the second half of the 18th century Charing Cross has been seen as the centre of London. It is the primary of the central datum points for measuring distances from London along with the London Stone, Hicks Hall and the doors of St Mary-le-Bow church.

History[link]

Location and etymology[link]

"Erect a rich and stately carved cross, Whereon her statue shall with glory shine; And henceforth see you call it Charing Cross." George Peele The Famous Chronicle of King Edward the First (1593)

The name of the hamlet of Charing is derived from the old English word "cierring", referring to the nearby bend in the River Thames.^[1][2]

The addition of the name "Cross" to the area's name originates from the Eleanor cross erected in 1291–94 by King Edward I as a memorial to his wife, Eleanor of Castile, and placed between the former hamlet of Charing and the entrance to the Royal Mews of the Palace of Whitehall (today the top of Whitehall on the south side of Trafalgar Square).

This wooden sculpted cross was the work of the medieval sculptor, Alexander of Abingdon,.^[3] It was destroyed in 1647 on the orders of Parliament during the Civil War.^[4] The 70 ft (21 m)-high stone sculpture seen today in front of Charing Cross railway station is a copy of the original cross. Erected in 1865, it is situated a few hundred yards to the east of the original cross, on Strand. It was designed by the architect of the hotel, E.M.Barry and carved by Thomas Earp of Lambeth from Portland stone, Mansfield stone (a fine sandstone) and Aberdeen granite. It is not a faithful replica, being more ornate than the original.^[5]

Since 1675 the original site of the cross has been occupied by a statue of King Charles I mounted on a horse. This site is recognised by modern convention as the centre of London for the purpose of indicating distances by road in favour of other previous measurement points (such as St Paul's Cathedral which remains as the root of the English and Welsh part of the Great Britain road numbering scheme). Charing Cross is marked on modern maps as a road junction, though it was previously also a postal address denoting the stretch of road between Great Scotland Yard and Trafalgar Square. Since 1 January 1931 this section of road has been designated as part of the Whitehall thoroughfare.^[6]

The Cross has given its name to a railway station, a hotel, a hospital, a police station; and two places of entertainment, the Charing Cross Theatre and the Charing Cross Music Hall (which lay beneath the arches of the station). Charing Cross Road the main route from the north (which becomes the east side of Trafalgar Square) was named after the railway station, which was a major destination for traffic, rather than for the original cross.^[7]

St Mary Rounceval[link]

An extract from John Rocque's map of London, 1746, showing Northumberland House. The two projecting garden wings had not yet been added.

At some time between 1232 and 1236, the Chapel and Hospital of St Mary Rounceval was founded at Charing. This occupied land at the corner of the modern Whitehall and into the centre of Northumberland Avenue, running down to a wharf by the river. It was an Augustinian house, tied to a mother house at Roncesvalles, in the Pyrenees. The house and lands were seized for the King in 1379, under a statute "for the forfeiture of the lands of schismatic aliens". Protracted legal action returned some rights to the Prior, but in 1414, Henry V finally suppressed the 'alien' houses. The priory fell into a long decline due to lack of money, with further arguments over the collection of tithes with the parish church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. In 1541, religious artefacts were removed to St Margaret's, and the chapel was adapted as a private house, with the almshouse being sequestered to the Royal Palace.^[8]

Frontage onto Strand/Charing Cross of Northumberland House in 1752 by Canaletto. The statue of Charles I can be seen to the right of the painting. To the left can be seen the famous Golden Cross Inn, with signboard outside.

In 1608–09, the Earl of Northampton built Northumberland House on the eastern portion of the property. In June 1874, the whole of the Duke's property at Charing Cross, was purchased by the Metropolitan Board of Works for the formation of Northumberland Avenue.^[9]

The frontage of the Rounceval property caused the narrowing at the end of the Whitehall entry to Charing Cross, and formed the section of Whitehall formerly known as Charing Cross, until road widening in the 1930s caused the rebuilding of the south side of the street – creating the current wide thoroughfare.^[8]

Battle[link]

In 1554, Charing Cross was the site of the final battle of Wyatt's Rebellion. This was an attempt by Thomas Wyatt and others to overthrow Queen Mary I of England, soon after her accession to the throne and replace her with Lady Jane Grey. Wyatt's army had come from Kent, and with London Bridge barred to them, had crossed the river by what was then the next bridge upstream, at Hampton Court. Their circuitous route brought them down St. Martin's Lane to Whitehall.^[5]

The palace was defended by 1,000 men under Sir John Gage at Charing Cross; they retreated within Whitehall after firing their shot, causing consternation within — thinking the force had changed sides. The rebels – themselves, fearful of artillery on the higher ground around St James's – did not press their attack and marched onto Ludgate; where they were met by the Tower Garrison and surrendered.^[5]

Civil war removal[link]

Statue of Charles I, facing down Whitehall

The Eleanor Cross was pulled down, by order of Parliament, in 1647, at the time of the English Civil War, becoming the subject of a popular Royalist ballad:

Methinks the common-council shou'd

Of it have taken pity,

'Cause, good old cross, it always stood

So firmly in the city.

Since crosses you so much disdain,

Faith, if I were you,

For fear the King should rule again,

I'd pull down Tiburn too. (extract from "The Downfall of Charing Cross"^[10])

At the Restoration eight of the regicides were executed here, including the notable Fifth Monarchist, Colonel Thomas Harrison.^[11] A statue of Charles I, was later erected on the site. This statue had been made in 1633 by Hubert Le Sueur, in the reign of Charles I, but, in 1649, was ordered to be destroyed by Parliament. Subsequently, after being hidden by the man charged with destroying the statue, it resurfaced at the Restoration; and was erected here in 1675.^[12]

The Pillory at Charing Cross. The statue of Charles I, to the right, marks the site of the eponymous Cross.^[13]

A prominent pillory, where malefactors were publicly flogged, was situated next to the statue of King Charles.^[14] To the south of Charing Cross was the Hungerford Market, established at the end of the 16th century; and to the north was the King's Mews, a royal stable. The area around the pillory was a popular place of street entertainment. Samuel Pepys records in his diaries visiting the surrounding taverns and watching the entertainments and executions that were held there.^[15] This whole area was transformed when Trafalgar Square was built on the site in 1832.

A famous inn called the "Golden Cross" - first mentioned in 1643 - stood in the former village of Charing. From here, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, coaches departed by various routes to Dover, Brighton, Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Holyhead and York. The inn features in Sketches by Boz, David Copperfield and The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens. In the last, the dangers to public safety of the low archway between the inn to the street were memorably pointed out by Mr Jingle :

"Heads, heads - take care of your heads", cried the loquacious stranger as they came out under the low archway which in those days formed the entrance to the coachyard. "Terrible place - dangerous work - other day - five children - mother - tall lady, eating sandwiches - forgot the arch - crash - knock - children look round - mother's head off - sandwich in her hand - no mouth to put it in - head of family off"

The inn was demolished for the creation of Trafalgar Square and a new Golden Cross Hotel was built in the 1830s on the triangular site now fronted by South Africa House. Though this hotel is now also gone, the memory is preserved in commercial offices facing the Strand named Golden Cross House.

Replacement[link]

Area around Charing Cross c.1833

The railway station opened in 1864, fronted on the Strand with the Charing Cross Hotel. In 1865, a replacement cross was commissioned from E. M. Barry by the South Eastern Railway as the centrepiece of the station forecourt; about 160 feet (49 m) east of the original site. It is not a replica, being of an ornate Victorian Gothic design based on George Gilbert Scott's Oxford Martyrs' Memorial (1838). The Cross rises 70 feet (21 m) in three main stages on an octagonal plan, surmounted by a spire and cross. The shields in the panels of the first stage are copied from the Eleanor Crosses and bear the arms of England, Castile, Leon and Ponthieu; above the 2nd parapet are 8 statues of Queen Eleanor. The Cross was designated a Grade II* monument on 5 February 1970.^[16] The month before, the bronze equestrian statue of Charles, on a pedestal of carved Portland stone was given Grade I listed protection.^[17]

Fragments of the medieval original remain in the Museum of London.

Official use as central point[link]

Since the second half of the 18th century Charing Cross has been seen as the centre of London.^[18] From the early 19th century, legislation applicable only to the London metropolis used Charing Cross as a central point to define its geographical scope. Its later use in legislation waned in favour of providing a schedule of local government areas and became mostly obsolete with the official creation of Greater London in 1965.

Transport and locale[link]

Neighbouring areas of London.

	Trafalgar Square	Covent Garden	Kingsway
	The Mall		Strand
		Charing Cross    East
	Whitehall	London Waterloo via Golden Jubilee Bridges	South Bank via Waterloo Bridge

The front entrance of Charing Cross railway station in a 19th-century print. The cross in front of the station Hotel is a Victorian replacement for the original Eleanor Cross which stood near the site.

Nearest stations

To the east of the Charing Cross road junction is Charing Cross railway station situated on the Strand. On the other side of the river, connected by the pedestrian Golden Jubilee Bridges are Waterloo East station and Waterloo station.

The nearest London Underground stations are Charing Cross and Embankment.

References[link]

External links[link]

London portal

• Charing Cross Bridge in London from Claude Monet, in YOUR CITY AT THE THYSSEN, a Thyssen Museum project on Flickr

v t e City of Westminster Districts Aldwych Bayswater Belgravia Covent Garden (including Seven Dials) Fitzrovia Holborn Hyde Park Knightsbridge Lisson Grove Maida Vale (including Little Venice) Mayfair Marylebone Millbank Paddington Pimlico Queen's Park St James's St John's Wood Soho (including Chinatown) Victoria Westbourne Green Westminster Attractions West End theatre Westminster Abbey Buckingham Palace National Gallery Tate Britain Trafalgar Square Horse Guards more Parks and open spaces Green Park Hyde Park Kensington Gardens Regent's Park St James's Park Constituencies Westminster North Cities of London and Westminster Bridges Chelsea Bridge Grosvenor Bridge Hungerford Bridge Lambeth Bridge Vauxhall Bridge Waterloo Bridge Westminster Bridge Tube and railway stations Baker Street Bayswater Bond Street Charing Cross Charing Cross railway station Covent Garden Edgware Road(Bakerloo line) Edgware Road (Circle, District and Hammersmith & City Lines) Embankment Great Portland Street Green Park Hyde Park Corner Lancaster Gate Leicester Square London Victoria station London Paddington station Maida Vale Marble Arch Marylebone station Oxford Circus Piccadilly Circus Pimlico Queensway Regent's Park Royal Oak St James's Park St John's Wood Temple Tottenham Court Road Warwick Avenue Westbourne Park Westminster Other topics People from Westminster (district) Public art (architectural sculpture) Schools Category Commons

Coordinates: 51°12′39″N 0°47′42″E / 51.2107°N 0.7949°E / 51.2107; 0.7949

Charing
Charing High Street, c. 1905
Charing  Charing shown within Kent
Population	2,750
OS grid reference	TQ953494
District	Ashford
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Ashford
Postcode district	TN27
Dialling code	01233
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Ashford
List of places: UK • England • Kent

Charing is a small village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, in south-east England. The parish population is 2,750 (Hobbs Parker web site, 2000); it includes the settlement of Charing Heath.

It is situated at the foot of the North Downs. The Pilgrims' Way and the M20 motorway both cross the parish, whilst Charing railway station is located on the line railway line between London Victoria and Ashford International via Maidstone. Services are operated by Southeastern, with one train in each direction throughout the day, and an much enhanced service during the morning and evening peak periods.

History[link]

The name Charing first appears in 799 as Ciorrincg. The name probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon word cerring, which means a bend in the road, or it may be from Ceorra-ingas, which is Anglo-Saxon, meaning people of Ceorra. The village is sited on the Pilgrims' Way from London to Canterbury, and is one day's walk from Canterbury. There are a number of old manors located around the village, such as Newlands (now a horse stud) and Pett Place. The village had a market recorded in 1285, and a fair recorded in the fifteenth century.

St Peter & St Paul Church, the parish church of Charing, is situated next to the remains of the Archbishop's Palace, just off the High Street. The church's west tower was built in the 14th century, though most of the rest of the building was reconstructed following a catastrophic fire in the 16th century. The church contains a number of memorials to the Dering family, a branch of the Dering family of Surrenden Dering, Pluckley, Kent.^[1]

Mills[link]

Charing has had four mills over the centuries, serving the needs of the villagers. There were two watermills on the Upper Great Stour and two windmills.

Watermills

• Burnt Mill, a corn mill working until the 1950s, now derelict.

• Field Mill, a corn mill, the building of which survives retaining its waterwheel.

Windmills.

• Charing Mill, also known as Field Mill on the Downs above the village is a smock mill which was built in the early nineteenth century and last worked in 1891. It stands today as a house conversion.^[2][3]

• Charing Heath Mill was a smock mill^[3] that was demolished c.1878. Millers include William Missing in 1845 and Robert Millgate 1862 - 1878^[4]

Places of interest[link]

Its most famous building is the Archbishop's Palace, which lies by the church and was an ancient possession of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The palace was an important building in the diocese of Canterbury, and counted amongst its guests King Henry VIII. It has been a farmhouse for the last 300 years. In 2004, the palace was an unsuccessful contestant in the BBC television programme Restoration, where a number of potential restoration projects throughout the UK competed for funds. The church is said to contain the stone on which John the Baptist was beheaded.

Notable residents (past & present)[link]

Jim Moir, actor and comedian, (aka Vic Reeves) lives in the village.

Village life[link]

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The village has a Church of England Primary School; a library; a doctors' surgery and a number of traditional shops. The village has three pubs, 'The Oak', which in addition to the traditional bar also offers very pleasant 4* accommodation and restaurant facilities open 7 days a week. 'The Bowl' and 'The Wagon & Horses' are in the rural areas of the village, the former also offering 4* accommodation. 'The Swan' on the outskirts of the main village also provides restaurant facilities, and a very pleasant traditional Kentish Tea Room is available on the main High Street. The village is still surrounded by farmland, but it also boasts good transport links provided by the A20 London to Dover road, and direct train services to Ashford International and London Victoria via Maidstone East. Housing development since the 1960s has also led to the area becoming a popular commuter village for people employed in London. The village has a strong community life, and the inhabitants organise regular community and charity events and fairs. There is a recently revived Youth Club and cricket team using new sports facilities. The addition of a set of skate-board ramps is just a start. A Community Warden, a recent addition to many rural areas of Kent, is having the effect of connecting an active Parish Council to the young of the area. This connection, it is hoped, will grow and improve the facilies that are made available to the young, and that in turn will bring the community closer together, as the Parish grows, with new housing developments, and increased nearby industry.

Demography[link]

As of the 2001 UK census, the Charing electoral ward had a population of 2,284. The ethnicity was 98% white, 0.7% mixed race, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% black and 0.4% other. The place of birth of residents was 95.7% United Kingdom, 0.5% Republic of Ireland, 1.2% other Western European countries, and 2.6% elsewhere. Religion was recorded as 77.4% Christian, 0.3% Buddhist, 0% Hindu, 0% Sikh and 0.2% Jewish, 0.4% Muslim. 12.6% were recorded as having no religion, 0.2% had an alternative religion and 8.8% did not state their religion.^[5]

The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 32% in full-time employment, 11.9% in part-time employment, 14.3% self-employed, 2.2% unemployed, 1.9% students with jobs, 2.1% students without jobs, 20.5% retired, 7.1% looking after home or family, 4.6% permanently sick or disabled and 3.5% economically inactive for other reasons. The industry of employment of residents was 17.8% retail, 12.9% manufacturing, 8.2% construction, 14.7% real estate, 10.2% health and social work, 7.4% education, 5% transport and communications, 4.1% public administration, 5.1% hotels and restaurants, 4.4% finance, 4.4% agriculture and 5.8% other. Compared with national figures, the ward had a relatively high proportion of workers in agriculture and construction. There were a relatively low proportion in public administration, transport and communications. Of the ward's residents aged 16–74, 18.4% had a higher education qualification or the equivalent, compared with 19.9% nationwide.^[5]

References[link]

1. ^ [http://books.google.com/books? Lord Anthony of Devon was quoted after visiting Charing in 1578 as saying, "Thy must acknowledge the cute anus on this village." id=4UcuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA119&lpg=PA119&dq=%22william+levet%22+king+dering&source=bl&ots=PFEQGNb4aD&sig=rZY7TJq-ALV7SGFg-8i5rwU-BGM&hl=en&ei=onGxStKgMIfysQPmv927Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#v=onepage&q=%22william%20levet%22%20king%20dering&f=false The Monuments and Painted Glass of Upwards of One Hundred Churches, Philip Parsons, Printed by Simmons, Kirkby and Jones, Canterbury, 1794]
2. ^ West, Jenny (1973). The Windmills of Kent. London: Charles Skilton Ltd.. pp. 28–30. SBN 284-98534-1. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Coles Finch, William (1933). Watermills and Windmills. London: C W Daniel Company. p. 177. 
4. ^ "Directory of Kent Mill People". The Mills Archive Trust. http://www.millarchive.com/kent/millpeople/Kent%20Mill%20People.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-14. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Neighbourhood Statistics". Statistics.gov.uk. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadDatasetList.do?a=3&b=5945437&c=Charing&d=14&g=456800&i=1001x1003&m=0&r=1&s=1203676077713&enc=1&domainId=16. Retrieved 2008-02-22. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Charing

• Charing village web site
• The Oak, Charing, web site
• Description of the Archbishop's Palace, The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. CIII, Part II, 1833
• {http://www.charingguild.com/ Charing Guild Of Players' website

v t e Towns and villages in the Borough of Ashford, Kent, England Aldington Aldington Frith Anvil Green Appledore Appledore Heath Ashford Bagham Bethersden Biddenden Bilsington Bilting Bockhanger Bodsham Bonnington Boughton Aluph Boughton Corner Boughton Lees Brabourne Brabourne Lees Brattle Bromley Green Brook Challock Charing Chilham Chilmington Green Crundale Eastwell Ebony Egerton Godinton Godmersham Great Chart Hamstreet Hastingleigh High Halden Hinxhill Hothfield Kenardington Kennington Kingsnorth Leigh Green Little Chart Mersham Molash Newenden Newtown Orlestone Pluckley Reading Street Rolvenden Rolvenden Layne Ruckinge St Michaels Sevington Shadoxhurst Small Hythe Smarden Smeeth Stanhope Stone in Oxney Stubbs Cross Tenterden Warehorne Westwell Westwell Leacon Willesborough Wittersham Woodchurch Woolpack Corner Wye List of places in Kent

• The Beauties of England and Wales, John Britton, Joseph Nightingale, James Norris, 1808

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)

Kyle Eugene Gann (born November 21, 1955) is an American professor of music, critic and composer born in Dallas, Texas. As a critic for The Village Voice (from November 1986 to December 2005) and other publications he has been a supporter of progressive music including such Downtown movements as postminimalism and totalism.

As composer[link]

As a composer his works fall generally into three categories:

• microtonal works in just intonation, involving electronics;^[1][2]
• rhythmically complex works for Disklavier (computer-driven acoustic piano); and
• piano and ensemble music whose rhythmic complexity tends to be milder and within a single tempo framework.^{[citation needed]}

Of particular importance in most of his music is the concept of repeating loops, ostinatos, or isorhythms of different lengths going out of phase with each other; the idea leads to simultaneous layers of different, mutually prime tempo relationships in his Disklavier and electronic works, and is used in a less obvious structural way in his live-ensemble music.^{[citation needed]} This concept can be traced back to suggestions in the rhythmic chapter of Henry Cowell's book New Musical Resources, but is also related here to inspirations from astrology, into which Gann was drawn by the writings of composer/astrologer Dane Rudhyar.^{[citation needed]}

Another thread in his work has been the influence, both rhythmic and melodic, of Native American music, particularly that of the Hopi, Zuni, and other Southwest Pueblo tribes. Gann first learned about this music from reading a musical analysis of a Zuni buffalo dance published in the book Sonic Design by Robert Cogan and Pozzi Escot. According to Gann, "It was going back and forth between different tempos: triplet, quarter, dotted quarter, and quarters. So I started collecting American Indian music. [It] solved a rhythmic problem for me, because I was really interested in music with different tempos."^[3]

Starting in 1984 with his political piece The Black Hills Belong to the Sioux, Gann adopted a method of switching between different tempos (usually between quarter-notes, dotted eighths, triplet quarters, and other values) as a more performable alternative to the simultaneous layers at contrasting tempos that he had sought earlier under Charles Ives's influence.^{[citation needed]}Ironically, other composers had arrived at a similar technique via other routes, coalescing into a New York style of the 1980s and '90s called Totalism.

A common Gann strategy is to set a rhythmic process in motion and use harmony (mostly triadic or seventh-chord-based, whether microtonal or conventional) to inflect the form and focus the listener's attention. Gann's microtonal music proceeds according to Harry Partch's technique of tonality flux, linking chords through tiny (less than a half-step) increments of voice-leading. In 2000, Gann studied jazz harmony with John Esposito, and began using bebop harmony as a basis for his non-microtonal music, even in contexts not reminiscent of jazz.^{[citation needed]}

Biography[link]

Raised in a musical family, Gann began composing at the age of 13. After graduating in 1973 from Dallas' Skyline High School, he attended Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he obtained a B.Mus. in 1977 and Northwestern University, where he received his M.Mus. and D.Mus. in 1981 and 1983, respectively. At Oberlin he studied composition with Randolph Coleman^[4] and also studied Renaissance counterpoint with Greg Proctor at the University of Texas at Austin.^[2] He studied composition primarily with Ben Johnston (1984–86) and Peter Gena (1977–81), and briefly with Morton Feldman (1975). In 1981-82 he worked for the New Music America festival, and afterward gained experience as a journalist at the Chicago Reader, Tribune, Sun-Times, and New York Times. He was hired at The Village Voice in 1986, where he wrote a weekly column until 1997 and then less frequently until December, 2005. He taught part-time at Bucknell University from 1989 to 1997. Since 1997 he has taught music theory, history, and composition at Bard College in upstate New York.

Selected bibliography[link]

Gann's books include:

American Music in the 20th century, ISBN 0-02-864655-X

The Music of Conlon Nancarrow, ISBN 0-521-46534-6

Music Downtown: Writings from the Village Voice, ISBN 0-520-22982-7

No Such Thing As Silence: John Cage's 4'33", ISBN 0-300-13699-4

Major musical works[link]

• The Planets (Astrological Studies: Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) for Relâche: flute, oboe, alto saxophone, bassoon, viola, contrabass, synthesizer, and percussion (tom-toms, cymbals, and vibraphone)(1994–2008)
• Composure for four electric guitars (2008)
• Olana for vibraphone (2007)
• Kierkegaard, Walking for flute, clarinet, violin, cello (2007)
• Sunken City (Concerto for piano and winds, in homage to New Orleans) for solo piano with flute, alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, three trumpets, horn, three trombones, and electric bass (2007)
• Fugitive Objects for keyboard sampler (2007)
• On Reading Emerson for piano (2006)
• Implausible Sketches for piano four hands (2006)
• my father moved through dooms of love for chorus, violin, and piano (2005-6)
• The Day Revisited for flute, clarinet, keyboard sampler, synthesizer, and fretless bass (2005)
• Unquiet Night for Disklavier (computer-driven acoustic piano) (2004)
• Scenario for female voice and soundfile/orchestra (2003-4)
• Private Dances for piano (2000/04)
• The Watermelon Cargo, microtonal chamber opera for six singers, three synthesizers, flute, fretless bass, and drummer (2002-3)
• Love Scene for string quartet (2003)
• Petty Larceny for Disklavier (computer-driven acoustic piano) (2003)
• Tango da Chiesa for Disklavier (computer-driven acoustic piano) (2003)
• Cinderella's Bad Magic, microtonal chamber opera for six singers, three synthesizers, flute, and fretless bass (2001-2)
• Transcendental Sonnets for chorus and orchestra (2001-2)
• New World Coming for solo bassoon with flute (or oboe), violin (or viola), and piano (2001)
• Hovenweep for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello (2000)
• Time Does Not Exist for piano (2000)
• "Last Chance" Sonata for clarinet and piano (1999)
• Custer and Sitting Bull for speaker, synthesizer, and soundfile (1996–99)
• The Disappearance of All Holy Things from this Once So Promising World for orchestra (1998)
• Snake Dance No. 2 for five percussionists (1994)
• Desert Sonata for piano (1994)
• Chicago Spiral for flute, clarinet, saxophone (or three flutes), violin, viola, cello, synthesizer, and drums (1990–91)
• Cyclic Aphorisms for violin and piano (1987)
• I'itoi Variations for two pianos (1985)
• Baptism for two flutes, synthesizer, and two drums (1983)
• Long Night for three pianos (1980–81)

Notes[link]

1. ^ Max Limpag. "American Festival of Microtonal Music," (on the 27th Annual Festival) New Music Connoisseur. Undated. Retrieved Aug. 6, 2007.
2. ^ ^{a b} Jeff London. "An interview with Kyle Gann," Vocal Area Network, February 12, 2007. Retrieved Aug. 6, 2007.
3. ^ "On Both Sides of the Fence: Kyle Gann in conversation with Frank J. Oteri, March 1, 2010". NewMusicBox. 1 April 2009. http://www.newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx?id=6310. 
4. ^ http://www.artsjournal.com/postclassic/2004/08/completion_of_an_earlier_thoug.html

References[link]

• "Gann, Kyle" in Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Music & Musicians
• "Gann, Kyle" in The New Grove Dictionary of Music

External links[link]

• Kyle Gann's Homepage
• Postclassic, Kyle Gann's blog
• Interview with Kyle Gann by Daniel Varela
• Making Marx in the Music: A HyperHistory of New Music and Politics by Kyle Gann © 2003 NewMusicBox
• Minimal Music, Maximal Impact by Kyle Gann © 2001 NewMusicBox

Listening[link]

• GannAudio from Kyle Gann's Homepage

Sir Anthony Hopkins CBE
Hopkins at the Tuscan Sun Festival, Cortona, 2009
Born	Philip Anthony Hopkins (1937-12-31) 31 December 1937 (age 74) Port Talbot, Glamorgan, Wales
Occupation	Actor, Musician
Years active	Since 1960
Spouse	Petronella Barker (1967–72; divorced) Jennifer Lynton (1973–2002; divorced) Stella Arroyave (m. 2003)

Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937), best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television, and a composer. Considered to be one of the greatest living actors,^[1][2][3] Hopkins is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. Other prominent film credits include The Lion in Winter, Magic, The Elephant Man, 84 Charing Cross Road, Dracula, Legends of the Fall, The Remains of the Day, Amistad, Nixon, The World's Fastest Indian, and Fracture. Hopkins was born and brought up in Wales. Retaining his British citizenship, he became a U.S. citizen on 12 April 2000.^[4] Hopkins' films have spanned a wide variety of genres, from family films to horror. As well as his Academy Award, Hopkins has also won three BAFTA Awards, two Emmys and the Cecil B. DeMille Golden Globe Award. Hopkins was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1993 for services to the arts.^[5] He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003, and was made a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2008.^[6][7]

Early life[link]

Hopkins was born in Margam, Port Talbot, Wales, the son of Muriel Anne (née Yeats) and Richard Arthur Hopkins, a baker.^[8] His schooldays were unproductive; he found that he would rather immerse himself in art, such as painting and drawing, or playing the piano, than attend to his studies. In 1949, to instill discipline, his parents insisted he attend Jones' West Monmouth Boys' School in Pontypool, Wales. He remained there for five terms and was then educated at Cowbridge Grammar School in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.^[9]

Hopkins was influenced and encouraged to become an actor by Welsh compatriot Richard Burton (who was also born at Neath Port Talbot), whom he met briefly at the age of 15. To that end, he enrolled at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, Wales, from which he graduated in 1957.^[5] After two years in the British Army doing his national service, he moved to London where he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.^[10]

Career[link]

Roles[link]

Hopkins made his first professional stage appearance in the Palace Theatre, Swansea in 1960 with Swansea Little Theatre's production of Have A Cigarette.^[11]

In 1965, after several years in repertory, he was spotted by Sir Laurence Olivier, who invited him to join the Royal National Theatre.^[5] Hopkins became Olivier's understudy, and filled in when Olivier was struck with appendicitis during a production of August Strindberg's The Dance of Death. Olivier later noted in his memoir, Confessions of an Actor, that, "A new young actor in the company of exceptional promise named Anthony Hopkins was understudying me and walked away with the part of Edgar like a cat with a mouse between its teeth."^[12] Despite his success at the National, Hopkins tired of repeating the same roles nightly and yearned to be in films. He made his small-screen debut in a 1967 BBC broadcast of A Flea in Her Ear. In 1968, he got his break in The Lion in Winter playing Richard I, along with Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, and future James Bond star Timothy Dalton, who played Philip II of France.

Although Hopkins continued in theatre (most notably at the National Theatre as Lambert Le Roux in Pravda by David Hare and Howard Brenton and as Antony in Antony and Cleopatra opposite Judi Dench as well as in the Broadway production of Peter Shaffer's Equus, directed by John Dexter) he gradually moved away from it to become more established as a television and film actor. His Pierre Bezukhov for the BBC War and Peace (1972) was particularly memorable. He has since gone on to enjoy a long career, winning many plaudits and awards for his performances. In 1980 he starred opposite Shirley MacLaine in A Change of Seasons and famously said “she was the most obnoxious actress I have ever worked with."^[13] Hopkins was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1987, and a Knight Bachelor in 1993.^[14][15] In 1988, Hopkins was made an Honorary D.Litt and in 1992 was awarded Honorary fellowship from the University of Wales, Lampeter.^[16] A few years later in a The Tonight Show with Jay Leno appearance, Hopkins humbly admitted that liked his American fans and friends to call him "Sir Tony". Hopkins was Britain's highest paid performer in 1998, starring in The Mask of Zorro and Meet Joe Black, and also agreed to reprise his role as Dr Hannibal Lecter for a fee of £15million.^[17] Hopkins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003.^[6]

Hopkins has stated that his role as Burt Munro, whom he portrayed in his 2005 film The World's Fastest Indian, was his favourite. He also asserted that Munro was the easiest role that he had played because both men have a similar outlook on life.^[18] In 2006, Hopkins was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.^[19] In 2008, he received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award.^[7]

Hopkins portrayed Odin, the Allfather or "king" of Asgard, in the film adaptation of Marvel Comics' Thor.^[20] On 24 February 2010, it was announced that Hopkins had been cast in the supernatural thriller The Rite, which was released on 28 January 2011. He played a priest who is "an expert in exorcisms and whose methods are not necessarily traditional".^[21] An agnostic, he wrote a line--"Some days I don't know if I believe in God or Santa Claus or Tinkerbell"--into his character in order to identify with it.^[22] On 21 September 2011, Peter R. de Vries named Hopkins in the role of the Heineken owner Freddy Heineken in a future movie about his kidnap.

Hopkins is currently portraying Alfred Hitchcock in Sacha Gervasi's upcoming biopic Hitchcock, following his career while making Psycho. The film is set for release in 2013.

Acting style[link]

Isabella Rossellini and Sir Anthony Hopkins in Berlin to shoot scenes for The Innocent (1993).

Hopkins is renowned for his preparation for roles. He has indicated in interviews that once he has committed to a project, he will go over his lines as many times as is needed (sometimes upwards of 200) until the lines sound natural to him, so that he can "do it without thinking". This leads to an almost casual style of delivery that belies the amount of groundwork done beforehand. While it can allow for some careful improvisation, it has also brought him into conflict with the occasional director who departs from the script, or demands what the actor views as an excessive number of takes. Hopkins has stated that after he is finished with a scene, he simply discards the lines, not remembering them later on. This is unlike others who usually remember their lines from a film even years later.^[23] Richard Attenborough, who has directed Hopkins on five occasions, found himself going to great lengths during the filming of Shadowlands (1993) to accommodate the differing approaches of his two stars (Hopkins and Debra Winger), who shared many scenes. Whereas Hopkins, preferring the spontaneity of a fresh take, liked to keep rehearsals to a minimum, Winger rehearsed continuously. To allow for this, Attenborough stood in for Hopkins during Winger's rehearsals, only bringing him in for the last one before a take. The director praised Hopkins for "this extraordinary ability to make you believe when you hear him that it is the very first time he has ever said that line. It's an incredible gift."^[12]

Renowned for his ability to remember lines, Hopkins keeps his memory supple by learning things by heart such as poetry, and Shakespeare. In Steven Spielberg's Amistad, Hopkins astounded the crew with his memorisation of a seven-page courtroom speech, delivering it in one go. An overawed Spielberg couldn't bring himself to call him Tony, and insisted on addressing him as Sir Anthony throughout the shoot.^[10]

In addition, Hopkins is a gifted mimic, adept at turning his native Welsh accent into whatever is required by a character. He duplicated the voice of his late mentor, Laurence Olivier, for additional scenes in Spartacus in its 1991 restoration. (Around that same time, he voiced the Olivier role on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of Spartacus.) His interview on the 1998 relaunch edition of the British TV talk show Parkinson featured an impersonation of comedian Tommy Cooper. Hopkins has said acting "like a submarine" has helped him to deliver credible performances in his thriller movies. He said, "It's very difficult for an actor to avoid, you want to show a bit. But I think the less one shows the better."^[24]

Hannibal Lecter[link]

Perhaps Hopkins' most famous role is as the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1991, opposite Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, who also won for Best Actress. The film won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It is one of the shortest lead performances to win an Oscar, as Hopkins only appears on screen for little over 16 minutes, less than 10% of the film's running-time.^[9] Hopkins reprised his role as Lecter twice in Hannibal (2001) and Red Dragon (2002). His original portrayal of the character in The Silence of the Lambs has been labelled by the American Film Institute as the number-one film villain.^[25] At the time he was offered the role, Hopkins was making a return to the London stage, performing in M. Butterfly. He had come back to Britain after living for a number of years in Hollywood, having all but given up on a career there, saying, "Well that part of my life's over; it's a chapter closed. I suppose I'll just have to settle for being a respectable actor poncing around the West End and doing respectable BBC work for the rest of my life."^[12]

Hopkins played the iconic villain in adaptations of the first three of the Lecter novels by Thomas Harris. The author was reportedly very pleased with Hopkins' portrayal of his antagonist. However, Hopkins stated that Red Dragon would feature his final performance as the character, and that he would not reprise even a narrative role in the latest addition to the series, Hannibal Rising

Personal life[link]

Hopkins at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.

As of 2007, Hopkins resides in Los Angeles. He had moved to the United States once before during the 1970s to pursue his film career, but returned to London in the late 1980s. However, he decided to return to the US following his 1990s success. Retaining his British citizenship, he became a naturalised US citizen on 12 April 2000, and celebrated with a 3,000-mile road trip across the country.^[16]

Hopkins has been married three times. His first two wives were Martha O'Brien (1966–1972) and Jennifer Lynton (1973–2002). He is now married to Colombian-born Stella Arroyave. He has a daughter from his first marriage, Abigail Hopkins (b. 20 August 1968), who is an actress and singer.

Hopkins has offered his support to various charities and appeals, notably becoming President of the National Trust's Snowdonia Appeal, raising funds for the preservation of the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales, which in 1998 he donated £1million towards, and to aid the Trust's efforts to purchase parts of Snowdon.^[17][26] Prior to the campaign, Hopkins authored, Anthony Hopkins' Snowdonia, which was published in 1995.^[27] Hopkins has been a patron of the YMCA centre in his hometown of Port Talbot, South Wales for more than 20 years, having first joined the YMCA in the 1950s.^[28] Hopkins also takes time to support other various philanthropic groups. He was a Guest of Honour at a Gala Fundraiser for Women in Recovery, Inc., a Venice, California-based non-profit organisation offering rehabilitation assistance to women in recovery from substance abuse. Although he resides in Malibu, California he is also a volunteer teacher at the Ruskin School of Acting in Santa Monica, California.

Hopkins has attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings,^[29] since suddenly stopping drinking in 1975. As stated to TMZ in October 2010, Hopkins is a vegetarian. In 2008, he embarked on a weight loss programme, and by 2010, he had lost 80 pounds.^[30]

Hopkins is a prominent member of environmental protection group Greenpeace and as of early 2008 featured in a television advertisement campaign, voicing concerns about Japan's continuing annual whale hunt.^[31] Hopkins has been a patron of RAPt (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) since its early days and helped open their first intensive drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit at Downview (HM Prison) in 1992.

He is an admirer of the comedian Tommy Cooper. On 23 February 2008, as patron of the Tommy Cooper Society, the actor unveiled a commemorative statue in the entertainer's home town of Caerphilly, South Wales. For the ceremony, Hopkins donned Cooper's trademark fez and performed a comic routine.^[32]

Other work[link]

In 1986, he released a single called "Distant Star", which peaked at No. 75 in the UK Singles Chart.^[33] In 2007, he announced he would retire temporarily from the screen to tour around the world.^[34] Hopkins has also written music for the concert hall, in collaboration with Stephen Barton as orchestrator. These compositions include The Masque of Time, given its world premiere with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in October 2008, and Schizoid Salsa.^[35]

In 1990, Hopkins directed "Dylan Thomas: Return Journey" which was his directing debut for the screen. In 1996, he directed August, an adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya set in Wales. His first screenplay, an experimental drama called Slipstream, which he also directed and scored, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007.

Hopkins is a fan of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, and once remarked in an interview how he would love to appear in the series. Writer John Sullivan saw the interview, and with Hopkins in mind created the character Danny Driscoll, a local villain. However, filming of the new series coincided with the filming of The Silence of the Lambs, making Hopkins unavailable. The role instead went to Roy Marsden.^[36]

In January 2012, Hopkins released an album of classical music, entitled Composer, performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra released by Decca.

Awards[link]

Besides his win for The Silence of the Lambs, Hopkins has been Oscar-nominated for The Remains of the Day (1993), Nixon (1995) and Amistad (1997).

Hopkins won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in 1973 for his performance as Pierre Bezukhov in the BBC's production of War and Peace, and additionally for The Silence of the Lambs and Shadowlands. He received nominations in the same category for Magic and The Remains of the Day and as Best Supporting Actor for The Lion in Winter.

He won Emmy Awards^[37] for his roles in The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case and The Bunker, and was Emmy-nominated for The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Great Expectations.^[38] He won the directing and the acting award, both for Slipstream, at Switzerland's Locarno International Film Festival.

Hopkins became a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) at the Orange British Academy Film Awards in February 2008.^[39]

Filmography[link]

References[link]