Searle, Humphrey (b Oxford, 1915; d London, 1982). Eng. composer and writer on music. Worked for BBC mus. dept. 1938–40 and 1946–8. Prof. of comp. RCM 1965–76. Comp.-in-res., Stanford Univ., Calif., 1964–5, Univ. of Calif., Los Angeles, 1976–7. Expert on mus. of Liszt, about which he wrote book (1954, rev. 1967). In own works used version of 12-note technique and showed predilection for unusual forms. Several settings of poems by Edith Sitwell. CBE 1968. Works incl.:OPERAS: The Diary of a Madman (1958); The Photo of the Colonel (1963–4); Hamlet (1964–8).BALLETS: Noctambules (1956); The Great Peacock (1957–8); Dualities (1963).ORCH.: syms.: No.1 (1953), No.2 (1956–8), No.3 (1958–60), No.4 (1961–2), No.5 (1964); pf. concs.: No.1 (1944), No.2 (1955); suites: No.1 for str. (1942), No.2 (1943); Night Music (1943); Poem for 22 str. (1950); concertante, pf., str., perc. (1954); Scherzi (1964); Hamlet Suite (1968); Sinfonietta (1968–9); Zodiac Variations (1970); Labyrinth (1971); Tamesis (1979).CHORUS & INSTR(S).: Gold Coast Customs, spkrs., male ch., orch. (1947–9); The River-run (Joyce), spkr., orch. (1951); The Shadow of Cain, spkrs., male ch., orch. (1952); Jerusalem, speakers, ten., ch., orch. (1970); My Beloved Spake, ch., org. (1976); Dr Faustus, solo vv., ch., orch. (1977).VOICE & ORCH.: 3 Songs of Jocelyn Brooke, high v., ens. (1954); Oxus, ten., orch. (1967); Contemplations, mez., orch. (1975); Kubla Khan, ten., orch. (1973).UNACC. CHORUS: The Canticle of the Rose ( Sitwell) (1965); Rhyme Rude to My Pride, male ch. (1974).CHAMBER MUSIC: bn. quintet (1945); Intermezzo for 11 instr. (1946); qt. for cl., bn., vn., va. (1948); Passacaglietta in nomine Arnold Schoenberg, str. qt. (1949); Gondoliera, ca., pf. (1950); The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, spkr., fl., vc., gui. (1951); Suite, cl., pf. (1956); 3 Movements, str. qt. (1959); vc. fantasia (1972); Five, gui. (1974); Il Penseroso e L'Allegro, vc., pf. (1975).SONG-CYCLE: Les fleurs du mal, ten., hn., pf. (1972).SONG: Counting the Beats, high v., pf. (1963).PIANO: Sonata (1951); Suite (1955); Prelude on Theme by Rawsthorne (1965).