A composer, author, poet and occultist, Cyril Scott was an extraordinarily creative man. Ahead of his time both in his music and in his thought, Cyril Scott was one of the more remarkable men of his generation. Described by Eugene Goossens as “the father of modern British music” Cyril Scott was admired by composers as diverse as Claude Debussy, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky and his lifelong friend Percy Grainger.

Scott was born in Oxton (Merseyside) in northern England, United Kingdom, to Henry Scott, a shipper and scholar of Greek and Hebrew, and Mary Scott (née Griffiths), an amateur pianist. He showed a talent for music from an early age and was sent to the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, Germany to study piano in 1892 at age 12. He belonged to the Frankfurt Group, a circle of composers who studied at the Hoch Conservatory in the late 1890s. His first symphony was performed nine years later.

In 1902 he met the pianist Evelyn Suart, with whom he had a long artistic association. She championed his music, premiering many of his works, and introducing him to his publisher, Elkin, with whom he remained for the rest of his life. Evelyn Suart was also a Christian Scientist, and it was through her that Scott became interested in metaphysics.[1][2] Scott dedicated his Scherzo, Op. 25 to Evelyn Suart. (Her daughter Diana Gould was a noted ballerina and the second wife of Yehudi Menuhin.)[3][2]

In 1909 he recorded 6 of his own works for Welte-Mignon.

Scott married Rose L. Allatini in May 1921. They had two children: Vivien Mary Scott (born 1923) and Desmond Cyril Scott (born 1926). He separated from Rose following World War II. In 1943, he met Marjorie Hartston, who remained his companion until his death.

He composed up until the last three weeks of his life, dying at the age of 91. By the time of his death Scott was little regarded. Now his work is coming strongly back into favour. His Second Symphony was premiered by Sir Henry J. Wood at a 1903 Prom Concert and was extremely well received, although it inexplicably did not receive subsequent performances.[1]