This major new collection combines essays and articles from Tippett's two earlier books--Moving into Aquarius and Music of the Angels with a substantial amount of new material to distill the opinions and experiences of one of the century's most celebrated composers. Published to coincide with the composer's 90th birthday, the pieces focus particularly on the work of other twentieth-century composers as well as Tippett's own, from his early success A Child of Our Time, to the recent opera New Year and the orchestral piece The Rose Lake. Other essays deal with aesthetics, the role of the artist in society, and interpretation and performance, making the book of compelling interest not only to students and scholars, but to performers, conductors, and opera directors as well.