Noël Goodwin
Goodwin from before 1960[1]
Born	Trevor Noël Goodwin (1927-12-25)25 December 1927 (age 97) Fowey,Cornwall, England, UK
Died	27 March 2013(2013-03-27) (aged 85)
Alma mater	University of London (BA)
Occupations	Music critic dance critic author
Notable credits	Daily Express The Times

Trevor Noël Goodwin (25 December 1927 – 27 March 2013) was an Englishmusic critic,dance critic and author who specialized inclassical music andballet.^[2] Described as having a "rare ability to write about music and dance with equal distinction",^[3] for 22 years Goodwin wasChief music and dance critic for theDaily Express. He held criticism posts at many English newspapers, including theNews Chronicle,Truth andThe Manchester Guardian among others; from 1978 to 1998 he also reviewed performances forThe Times. Goodwin wrote an early history of theScottish Ballet and was coauthor for two books:London Symphony: Portrait of an Orchestra withHubert J. Foss and aKnight at the Opera withGeraint Evans.

Trevor Noël Goodwin was born on 25 December 1927 inFowey,Cornwall, England, UK.^{[3][n 1]} Born to a seafaring family, Goodwin was sent to the Royal Merchant Navy School (now theBearwood House) inWokingham, following his father's death.^[3] He earned aBachelor of Arts at theUniversity of London.^[4]

In 1952, Goodwin received two posts in arts criticism: he was the assistant music critic of theNews Chronicle until 1954 and Music Critic forTruth until 1956. From 1954 to 1955, Goodwin was also a critic forThe Manchester Guardian. In 1956, Goodwin becamechief music critic and chief dance critic for theDaily Express; he stayed there for 22 years, leaving the post in 1978.^[3][2] From then to 1998, Goodwin reviewed performances forThe Times.^[3] Other publications Goodwin wrote for include: theNew York Herald-Tribune (London dance critic), theMusical Courier,Opera News,Dancing Times,Dance and Dancers (music editor in 1964, associate editor in 1972),Music and Musicians (executive editor from 1963 to 1971).^[3][1]

The Times described Goodwin as having a "rare ability to write about music and dance with equal distinction".^[3] Reflecting on his role as a music critic, Goodwin said:^[4]

As a music critic in daily journalism for mass circulation my purpose, as I see it, is first to stimulate enthusiasm over the widest possible range of music and then to discriminate in matters of taste and standards. Encouraging in awareness and enjoyment of music as an art as well as entertainment I regard as essential among a steadily growing but hesitant and often suspicious public, for without it there can be no adequate discrimination.

As an author, Goodwin co-wrote theLondon Symphony: Portrait of an Orchestra (1954) withHubert J. Foss, and cowrote withGeraint Evans the latter's memoirs,A Knight at the Opera (1984).^{[2][3][n 2]} As sole author Goodwin wrote a history of theScottish Ballet's first ten years,^[5] and wrote the libretto forPeter Darrell's balletMary Queen of Scots.^[3] Goodwin also wrote many articles forThe New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and contributed an article onTheatre music for theEncyclopædia Britannica.^[3][6]

Goodwin was a member of the Gulbenkian Foundation's Dance Advisory Panel from 1972 to 1976, helping found the International Course for Professional Choreographers and Composers.^[3] Goodwin died on 27 March 2013.^[3]

• Goodwin, Noël;Foss, Hubert J. (1954).London Symphony: Portrait of an Orchestra. London: Naldrett Press.OCLC 1276037532.
• — (1979).A Ballet for Scotland: The First Ten Years of the Scottish Ballet. Edinburgh:Canongate Books.ISBN 978-0-903937-88-7.
• —;Evans, Geraint (1984).A Knight at the Opera. London: Joseph.ISBN 978-0-7181-2322-2.

• Goodwin, Noël (2001)."Ansermet, Ernest".Grove Music Online. Oxford:Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.00983.ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.(subscription,Wikilibrary access, orUK public library membership required)
• Goodwin, Noël (2001)."Chailly, Riccardo".Grove Music Online. Oxford:Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.43938.ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.(subscription,Wikilibrary access, orUK public library membership required)
• —— (2001)."Haitink, Bernard".Grove Music Online. Oxford:Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.12190.ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.(subscription,Wikilibrary access, orUK public library membership required)
• —— (2001)."Pleasants, Henry".Grove Music Online. Oxford:Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.21932.ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.(subscription,Wikilibrary access, orUK public library membership required)
• —— (2001)."Szeryng, Henryk".Grove Music Online. Oxford:Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.27313.ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.(subscription,Wikilibrary access, orUK public library membership required)
• ——; Halfyard, Janet (2011)."Choreography". In Latham, Alison (ed.).The Oxford Companion to Music. Oxford:Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-957903-7.(subscription required)
• —— (2014) [2001]."Klobučar, Berislav".Grove Music Online. Oxford:Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.43944.ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.(subscription,Wikilibrary access, orUK public library membership required)

• Howes, Frank;Cooper, Martin;Carner, Mosco; Cater, Percy;Chissell, Joan;Goodwin, Noël;Mann, William;Warrack, John;Mitchell, Donald;Porter, Andrew; Reid, Charles (April 1960). "Music Critics and Criticism Today".The Musical Times.101 (1406):220–225.doi:10.2307/949580.JSTOR 949580.

• Articles by Noël Goodwin inHistory Today
• Articles by Noël Goodwin inThe Independent
• Articles by Noël Goodwin onJSTOR

• 1927 births
• 2013 deaths
• People from Fowey
• English music critics
• British music critics
• Classical music critics

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from April 2022
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