Charles Acton

Charles Acton (25 April 1914 – 22 April 1999) was the music critic at The Irish Times for thirty-one years until his retirement in 1987. He was one of only two critics based outside Great Britain to be a member of The Critics' Circle.

Early life He was born Charles Ball-Acton in the village of Iron Acton, in what is now South Gloucestershire in England. His family was of Anglo-Irish Protestant stock, having been landowners in County Wicklow since the reign of King Charles I. His branch of the family included among its more notable members, the historian, Lord Acton.

Career Although never formally trained in music, Acton had a keen interest in the subject from an early age. As a child he played piano, bassoon and clarinet. He listened to concerts on BBC Radio

Over the course of his career as Irish Times music critic, Acton reviewed over 6,000 concerts.

Throughout his time as music critic, Acton campaigned for better resources for classical music in Ireland. He was a leading light in the Music Association of Ireland during its early years. As a result of his lobbying of Radio Éireann, Cork became the home of the first resident string quartet of any broadcasting station in the world. For over twenty years he argued for investment in a national concert hall, highlighting Ireland's unique status as the only European nation without such a facility. In September 1981, his efforts met with success when the inaugural concert at Dublin's new National Concert Hall took place. Acton was present to mark the historic event and to review the performances.

Although he retired officially as music critic at The Irish Times in 1987, Acton continued as an occasional concert reviewer for a further two years alongside his successor, Michael Dervan.

For many years, Acton also wrote articles on musical life in Ireland for Éire-Ireland, the quarterly journal of the Irish American Cultural Institute.

Honours In 1970, Acton was invited to join The Critics' Circle and was, apart from Clive Barnes, the only member based outside Britain. He is buried in the family graveyard in Dunganstown, County Wicklow.