Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961), conductor, was founder of the London Symphony Orchestra in 1907 and the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1932. His longest association was with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra which he formed in 1946, the year of his portrait by Augustus John and an important series of Delius concerts for the Delius Trust. He was made a Companion of Honour in 1957 and died after a lengthy tour of North America on 8 March 1961.

One of six bronze casts of Sir Thomas Beecham from 1957 are in the National Portrait Gallery, London together with sketches by Ernest Procter drawn during the Delius Festival of 1929. The Royal Philharmonic own a sculpture of the conductor by Muriel Liddle
(See J. Brymer, The Dictionary of National Biography 1961-1970, Oxford, 1981, p.p.87-89)