Alan Civil OBE (13 June 1929 – 19 March 1989) was a British horn player.
Civil began to play the horn at a young age, and joined an army band while still in his teens. He studied the instrument under Aubrey Brain, father of Dennis Brain.
Civil was engaged by Thomas Beecham to play second horn to Dennis Brain in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and when Brain left for the Philharmonia, Civil took over leadership of the section. In 1955, Civil joined the Philharmonia himself, becoming principal horn player when Brain died in a car crash in 1957.
In the 1960s, Civil became the first non-German to be approached by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra to become a member. Civil stuck with the Philharmonia however, who were reshaping themselves into the New Philharmonia. In 1966 he became principal hornist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, remaining there until his retirement in 1988.
As a soloist, Civil recorded the horn concertos of Mozart, and his recording of Benjamin Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with Robert Tear is also quite well known. He also played chamber music in the Alan Civil Horn Trio.
As well as his work in classical music, Civil played the horn solo on The Beatles' song "For No One" from the album Revolver. Civil was also part of the orchestra crecendo in the song "A Day in the Life" from the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Civil taught at the Royal College of Music. Among his pupils was Timothy Brown. He was awarded an OBE in 1985.
Famous quotes containing the words alan and/or civil:
“People must not do things for fun. We are not here for fun. There is no reference to fun in any act of Parliament.”
—A.P. (Sir Alan Patrick)
“The United States is just now the oldest country in the world, there always is an oldest country and she is it, it is she who is the mother of the twentieth century civilization. She began to feel herself as it just after the Civil War. And so it is a country the right age to have been born in and the wrong age to live in.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)