Bradford-born stage, screen and TV actor George Little has had a life-long passion for the music of the composer Frederick Delius.

Not just because the late Delius was also born in Bradford, a stone's throw from Carlton High School (now the site of Bradford University) where the young George Little gained his secondary education before going on to Esme Church's Northern Theatre School in Chapel Street...

Nor because his daughter Tasmin, the world-famous solo violinist, wrote a paper about Delius when she was studying at London's Guildhall of Music.

George Little values the music of Delius so highly because, "He makes you aware of the emotions of a loving nature. Love, affection, the transience of affection - he stimulates in me a fellow feeling and an atmosphere of feeling like no other composer," he said.

My Life with Fred, a two-hour talk with 22 musical excerpts from Delius's output, encompasses this passion which the 70-year-old actor first became aware of in his youth when he attended subscription concerts at St George's Hall and Eastbrook Hall.

"My anxiety and concern is to make other people aware of the beauty in his music and the pleasure we get from listening to it. We wouldn't have the popular music that we have today if we hadn't had Delius. The Beatles and Jerome Kern (composer of the music to Showboat) owe a great deal to him," he declared.

Given that neither Lennon nor McCartney could formally write music, I questioned his assertion about The Beatles.

"The thing about Delius is you've got to learn to listen to what's going on behind the tunes, his chords and their progression. Echoes of his music crop up everywhere. The intro to the music in the Bond film To Russia With Love is a slowed down version of a passage at the end of Delius's Violin Sonata, the one that became known after his death," he replied.

Intrigued? Then go along to the Tasmin Little Music Centre at Bradford University on Wednesday night at 7.30pm; in exchange for admission of £3 or £1.50 concessions you can watch and listen to George Little perform My Life with Fred.

At least it's a valid alternative to the European Cup Final.

Jim Greenhalf

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.