The Bradford-born composer Frederick Delius is to be honoured with his very own stamp in a new series commemorating British greats by the Post Office.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Delius’s birth, and while many of us might not be as familiar with his works as we perhaps ought to be, maybe this is the year that we all celebrate this great Bradfordian just a little more.

Born to German parents – his father was an industrialist who came to Bradford when it was capital of the wool-producing world – Delius was a child prodigy who could play the piano and the violin before he was a teenager.

He studied at Bradford Grammar School and later in London, and after a short apprenticeship with his father’s business he set off for Florida to cultivate oranges, which informed and led to his globe-trotting career as an eventually internationally-renowned composer.

But we should never forget that it was Bradford where Delius was born, and which moulded him in his early years. He truly is one of our great success stories.

There is a Delius Society, dedicated to promoting his life and work, and many events are planned throughout 2012 to mark his 150th year, with concerts and other commemorations here in Bradford.

His birthday is on January 29. Perhaps it’s not too late for us all to perhaps consider making another small New Year’s Resolution – make this the year that we all try to listen to at least one piece of Frederick Delius’s music.

He is, after all, one of Bradford’s greatest sons, and who knows? He might find a whole new audience here in the city of his birth.