[4] Inspired by a concert given by Sir Thomas Beecham and the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Wellington College, Royalton-Kisch decided to become a conductor, rather than following the family tradition and going into the law.
While at Wellington, he and his friend, Michael Heming, were very active musically, with Royalton-Kisch playing the clarinet, conducting the school orchestra and forming a madrigal group.
[5] He also received permission from Sir Henry Wood to attend the rehearsals and performances of the Promenade Concerts, held at the Queen's Hall, London.
In 1944, he was carrying a message for his commanding officer from Salerno to Naples, his route took him close to eruption, along a road thick with soot and over which lava had begun to spill.
[3] While in Italy he organised 21 concerts as he followed the allied advance northward through Salerno, Naples, Rome, Florence, Bari, Ancona, Pesaro and Forli, before being transferred to Athens.
Helped by various supporters, including Runciman and Harold Holt, he regularly appeared at the Royal Albert Hall, where he made his central London debut on 30 March 1947.
[3] He became a regular feature of the British music scene, as well as performing numerous broadcasts for the BBC with the LSO, RPO and the Philharmonia Orchestra.
His repertory spanned the classical and romantic periods, with Brahms a special favourite, but twentieth-century music, including mainly British composers as well as Stravinsky and Honegger, was also covered.
The reissued recordings on the set are the Bruch, Schumann and Liszt concertos, the Cimarosa and Gluck overtures, Haydn's Symphony No 99 and the Donizetti, Flotow, Puccini and Verdi arias.