The death has been announced of one the unsung heroes of the wider musical world.

Dr Len Mullenger, who developed the acclaimed Musicweb International website, died aged 83 on 30th September following a short illness.

He leaves an unsurpassed legacy of on-line reviews and resource material curated and published over three decades. At the time of his death, it contained over 60,000 reviews from a hugely respected collection of critics.

He is survived by his loving wife Barbara, his son Tom and daughter Elizabeth.

Advocate

A selfless, passionate and tireless figure, his generosity and passion for music was to be found on every page of the website as an advocate for excellence and indefatigable inspiration for journalistic talent.

A man of deep, wide ranging intelligence and intellect, as a scientist he was one of the early pioneers in the field of DNA, going on to lecture for many years at Lanchester Polytechnic, later to become Coventry University.

Musical passion

It did not stop his passion for music however, with many stories of breaks between lectures being given over to talks to his students about Wagner's 'Ring Cycle' or his latest additions to his vast recording collection.

Hugely regarded by those within the classical music community — conductors, performers, promoters and administrators alike, his hinterland of knowledge also encompassed the curation and cataloguing of rare books at the National Trust's Charlecote Park and delivering talks on a wide range of subjects as diverse as the life cycle of the octopus.

his passionate love of music and his tireless quest to share that passion for which he will always be remembered with admiration and fondnessChristopher Thomas

Achievement

However, Musicweb International was to become his remarkable achievement, and will continue to thrive in the hands of Editor in Chief John Quinn and his colleagues.

Christopher Thomas, who was directly encouraged by Dr Len Mullenger to write for the publication and was later to become a regular contributor, told 4BR: "It was Len's constant quest for knowledge, his generosity and irrepressible zest for life, his passionate love of music and his tireless quest to share that passion for which he will always be remembered with admiration and fondness.

He was irreplaceable, and above all, an immensely decent and compassionate human being. He will be deeply missed by his loving family, friends, colleagues and the musical world at large."