Malcolm Arnold was born in 1921 in Northampton. He composed film music, writing music for, amongst others, The Bridge Over the River Kwai and The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, and also serious concert works.

The 4th Symphony, written in 1960, was inspired by outrage at the Notting Hill Race Riots. It strikingly introduces West Indian instruments and has a delicate popular tune with which the violence is contrasted. The Andantino is rich, exotic, remote and mysterious. The finale is Arnold's declaration of war on empty-headed racism and elements of west indian and folk music. The symphony was written at the same time as the film scores for The Angry Silence & No Love for Johnnie.