Forty years ago a phenomenon known as the Young British Composer was beginning to impress its image on the world, largely owing to the advocacy of the late Edwin Evans. Those of us who were young English critics at the time were naturally excited at the prospect of entering upon what promised to be a creative period in the country's music, unparalleled since, the 17th century.

The term was a somewhat vague one, for there was already in existence a generation of composers born round about the 70's and 80's of the last century who were just beginning to make their influence felt, and nobody had decided at what stage a musician ceased to be a Young British Composer.