David Hellewell (1932-) was born in Morley, Yorkshire. In 1969, he formed Apollo Contemporary Music, of which he was conductor and musical director. Through performances of his compositions with the group, he became known as an avant-garde composer in the 70s. He also became involved in jazz, rock, and pop. This love for classical and rock music gave rise to his invention, the 'Rock Sonata'. His largest work was his 'Forbidden Symphony', which took two years to write between 1990 and 1992. It includes an orchestra, a chorus and instrumental soloists.