lambert’s father was the painter george washington lambert who had come to england from australia. lambert was often ill when he was a child. he went to school at christ's hospital and won a scholarship to the royal college of music. he soon became interested in french and russian music. he became friends with other famous people including the sitwell family, william walton, philip heseltine and bernard van dieren. he and edith sitwell were the reciters at a performance of walton’s "façade".