Lord Harewood changed the face of post-war British culture - Telegraph.co.uk

The Earl of Harewood visited by Queen Elizabeth as part of her nationwide golden jubilee tour  Photo: GETTY(router,verizon wireless,wireless network,wireless internet,i phone,i phone verizon,my verizon wireless,wireless adapter,att wireless)

At a ripe old age, Lord Harewood died yesterday. I only met him once, but our encounter was memorable, and I think it says much about the man.(router,verizon wireless,wireless network,wireless internet,i phone,i phone verizon,my verizon wireless,wireless adapter,att wireless)

About ten years ago, he took exception to some views I had expressed in print relating to the management of English National Opera, an organisation close to his heart, as one which he had done much to create and nurture and of which at that time he remained President.
Rather firmly, I was 'invited' to Harewood House for lunch, during which his secretary told me I could expect Lord Harewood to talk 'frankly'. It was a daunting prospect, but I need not have worried.
Lord and Lady Harewood lived in a modest, comfortable flat in the wing of Harewood House, and they could not have been more welcoming or hospitable.
Lord Harewood and I did indeed talk 'frankly' about ENO, but he did me the honour of respecting my sincerity and made no attempt to pull rank or intimidate me. His only concern was ENO's ultimate well-being - a concern I also shared - and we soon came to amicable and constructive agreement.
It was clear to me what an excellent manager he must have been - firm, objective, sensitive, unhysterical, and principled. If only opera could always have governance of this quality.
Once our formal discussion was over, we got down to the real business - a good lunch and some uninhibited operatic gossip. What a mine of information and experience he could tap and how deep his passion and enthusiasm ran! We talked high and low, about Callas and Britten, about the foundation of Opera magazine, and his pride in Opera North, the company he had been instrumental in establishing down the road in Leeds, as well as about singers, conductors and directors of the day. He could be very funny and did not mince his words, but nothing he said was gratuitously nasty or trivial. Although his health and energy were already in decline, one felt that such conversation recharged his batteries, and I only hope he enjoyed my visit a tenth as much as I did.
Our Royal Family, God bless it, is not noted for either its intellectual stature or artistic sophistication. But Lord Harewood, the Queen's cousin, was the exception: a man who combined intense aesthetic sensibility with practicality and erudition. As someone who changed the face of post-war culture in Britain entirely for the better, his memory should be honoured.
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