and the Ivy. His final work was a Bassoon Concerto, Op. 249, written in 2004 for Graham Salvage, the principal bassoonist of the Hallé Orchestra, which was premiered at the Budleigh Salterton Festival in July 2007, by Graham Salvage with the Festival Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Marshall. Honours Gardner was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music (Hon. RAM) in 1959; a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1976; and an Honorary Member of the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1997, the year of his eightieth birthday. Personal life Gardner married Jane Abercrombie, the daughter of Nigel Abercrombie (Secretary General of the Arts Council 1963–1968) and the soprano Elisabeth Abercrombie, in 1955. They had three children. After the War he lived in South London – in Morden, New Malden and Ewell. He died in Liss Forest, England. Recordings Gardner's music, apart from "Tomorrow shall be my dancing day", has been largely unrepresented on commercial records, but in recent years a number of new recordings have been issued, including the 3rd Symphony, Oboe Concerto, Flute Concerto, Petite Suite for Recorder and Strings, and Seven Songs. In September 2007, Naxos issued his Symphony No. 1, Piano Concerto and the overture Midsummer Ale. David Lloyd-Jones conducted the Royal Scottish National Orchestra with Peter Donohoe as the solo pianist. References External links John Gardner at Oxford University Press John Gardner official website 1917 births 2011 deaths Military personnel from Manchester Royal Air Force personnel 20th-century classical composers English classical composers English opera composers Male opera composers Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire Musicians from Manchester Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford Academics of the Royal Academy of Music People educated at Eagle House School People from Ilfracombe Honorary Members of the Royal Philharmonic Society Musicians from Devon English male classical composers 20th-century English composers 20th-century British male musicians