Shaman or Showman? 

George Lloyd in dialogue with his unconscious

Peter Davison examines Lloyd's personality and music in the context of his bohemian upbringing, his mystical beliefs and his use of alternative therapies in the wake of his wartime injuries.

“When faced with the imaginative and technical difficulties of creating a large scale work of art while trying to earn a living, many artists and composers come to believe they never had a real choice, for their art has chosen them. Should they decline the challenge, they will likely suffer unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, as if the creative energies latent in the unconscious mind may not be blocked without consequence.”

In this 9000 word article, Peter Davison brings together several aspects of Lloyd's psychology - the influence of Carl Jung, the composer’s reliance on alternative therapies such as hypnosis and meditation to overcome his shell shock, and his use of semi-trance states in composition, all combined with a hard-edged practical realism.