Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, one of Britain’s leading composers and a former teacher, began the celebrations in London last week by strongly endorsing the role of music in education.

He recalled how children from non-musical backgrounds enjoyed not only making music, but composing it, during his time teaching at a school in Chichester. And he hoped that composing could be revived in schools today.

Malcolm Arnold, Harrison Birtwhistle and Richard Rodney Bennett are among the 1,000 composers championed by spnm during its lifetime.

The society has planned special workshops and performances by new and established composers as well as events for Composing for Kids and Sound Inventors, its programmes for children and young people, to mark the anniversary.

Details at www.spnm.org.uk