Morton’s love of classical music also saw him become chairman of the Aldeburgh Festival.
John Day of Wickham Market, who is offering the Morton painting of Snape Maltings Concert Hall pictured above for sale at a Southwold fair this month, takes up the story.
“The original concert hall, which had only recently been completed in the mid-1960s, was destroyed by fire and Morton was commissioned to record the rebuilding.
“These pictures are considered some of his major works, and at 14 x 28in (36 x 71cm) this is a large size for the artist.”
Day adds: “They show an influence from other Modern British artists including Nash and Ravilious. This dramatic painting, signed and dated 1967, shows the concert hall roof structure being completed, with the River Alde beyond winding its way toward Aldeburgh, the town which gave its name to the world-famous festival.”
The rebuilt Maltings was opened by the queen in June 1967 and has been the centre of the annual festival ever since (this year celebrating its half century).
Talking about his biannual Southwold Antiques Fair, organiser John Harbottle of Lomax Fairs, which also run at Holkham Hall in Norfolk and Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, said: “Southwold is our most popular three-day stand-fitted fair of the year, with 44 dealers from across the UK.”
Newcomers this year include A Heart of Glass, Eastdale Silver and Mark Stacey of BBC One’s Antiques Road Trip.
John Day can be contacted on 01728 747050 or 07960 274139
