[2] He began learning the piano at the age of six, and later took up the clarinet, saxophone and guitar (and won a Melody Maker prize for his guitar-playing).
He spent most of World War II serving in Africa and Italy as a captain in the Corps of Royal Engineers.
Brindle is presently best known for his solo guitar music (which was highly regarded by players such as Andres Segovia and Julian Bream, especially El Polifemo de Oro (1956), written for Bream, as well as five sonatas (1948, 1976, 1978, 1979),[1] Variants on two themes of J. S. Bach (1970), Memento in two movements (1973), Do not go gentle... (1974), November Memories (1974), Four Poems of Garcia Lorca (1975), "Guitarcosmos" (3 volumes) and The Prince of Venosa (1994).
[1][3] Notable orchestral works include two symphonies (1955 and 1989), Apocalypse (1970), Creation Epic (world premiere at the Proms on 5 August 1964),[4] Homage to H.G.
[5] Smith Brindle was an expert on the music of 20th-century Italian composers such as Luigi Dallapiccola, Ildebrando Pizzetti and Bruno Bartolozzi (he studied with all three).