Few composers have been more loved in their lifetime than William Walton. And the strange thing is that, despite an almost inevitable dip in his popularity following his death in 1983, since the turn of the 21st century, here we are discovering once again the extraordinary power and richness of his music. His capacity to astonish and move us profoundly remains undiminished. In a soulless world, he confronts us repeatedly with our darkest fears but also our most joyful aspirations. And in the end, that is why we love him. The composer of Belshazzar’s Feast, Crown Imperial, concertos for Cello, Viola & Violin, Façade, film scores, especially the three great Shakespeare films of Laurence Olivier, the opera Troilus & Cressida……….

This Italia prize-winning film includes the only full-length interview ever recorded with Walton. Filmed at his home on Ischia and in Oxford, London & Oldham, it includes contributions from Laurence Olivier, Sacheverell Sitwell and Lady Susana Walton. Specially performed extracts of his music are conducted by Simon Rattle in his first substantial contribution to television when he was in his early 20s, with Simon Preston, Julian Bream, Yvonne Kenny, Yehudi Menuhin, Iona Brown, John Shirley-Quirk, Elgar Howarth & Ralph Kirshbaum, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford & Los Paraguayos.