Born 7th February 1927. Studied at the Royal College of Music and later taught there. Four years National Service in the Coldstream Guards. Aged 21 he started composing and arranging for the Ted Heath Band and then for most of the Big bands and recording orchestras of the 50's. Since then he has divided his time betweenn composing scores for film, television, theatre, concert
hall and recording studio. He has made hundreds of recordings of his compositions and arrangements over
the years, some were best sellers and award winning as have some of his film scores, musicals and productions. He is married with one daughter and one grandson.
In 1972 he formed his own film production company
with Albert Fennell and Brian Clemens. In 1978 he
formed Gainsborough Pictures with Albert Fennell
and John Hough
The Good Companions
The Moonraker
No Trees InThe Street
Girls At Sea
Tiger Bay
Operation Bullshine
I Aim At The Stars
Spare The Rod
What A Whopper
Bitter Harvest
The Siege Of The Saxons
Dr. Strangelove
The Beauty Jungle
East Of Sudan
The First Men In The Moon
You Must Be Joking
Hot Millions
And Soon The Darkness
Mr Jerico
Captain Kronos
Fire Chasers
The Bellstone Fox
It Shouldn't Happen To A Vet
HeddaThemes
No Hiding Place
Echo 4-Two
This Is Your Life
Top Secret
Wicker's World
Riviera Police
Animal Magic
World In Action
The Freewheelers
Botanic Man
When The Kissing Had To StopThemes and Scores - Series
Jason King
(Peter Wingarde. 26 Films)
The Adventurer
(Gene Barry. 26 Films)
Shirley's World
(Shirley Maclaine. 18 Films)
Thriller
(42 Films)
The Avengers
(Patrick McNee & Diana Rigg. 87 Films)Three Cheers
(Coronation Revue)
Lock Up Your Daughters
(Musical: Lyrics by Lionel Bart)
Pieces Of Eight
(Revue: Lyrics by Peter Cook)
Little Old King Cole
(Charlie Drake, London Palladium Pantomime)
The Four Musketeers
(Musical: Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer)Symphony
(Synthesis)
The Conquistadors
(Tone Poem)
Two Cities
(Suite)
Pageant
(Suite)
Castles Of Britain
(Suite)
Films and Television Series made by his own companies and for which he also composed the scores:
The New Avengers Series (Patrick McNee, Joanna Lumley and Gareth Hunt. 26 Films).
The Professionals (Lewis Collins, Gordon Jackson and Martin Shaw. 47 Films).
Films based on romantic novels of Dame Barbara Cartland:
A Hazard of Hearts (Diana Rigg, Edward Fox, Stewart Granger, Helena Bonham Carter)
The Lady and The Highwayman (Hugh Grant, Emma Samms, Sir John Mills, Lysette Anthony, Michael York).
A Ghost In Monte Carlo (Oliver Reed, Sarah Miles, Joanna Lumley, Christopher Plummer).
A Duel of Hearts ( Michael York, Alison Doody, Geraldine Chaplin, Virginia McKenna).
Two Documentary Films based on the life of Lord Bernard Miles.
Recordings of Concert Works (all conducted by Composer):
Song of Hiawatha (Oratorio. Libretto by Herbert Kretzmer).
The Battle of Waterloo (A Diorama for Massed Military Bands and Narrator, words by Herbert Kretzmer).
Suites for Symphonic Band : Royal Tour Suite, Four Paintings by Lautrec.
The Glory Road (For Big Band, Gospel Choir and a Narrator: James Coburn, Lyrics bt Herbert Kretzmer).
To The Few - Suite (Commissioned by the R.A.F. to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain).
The Wind In The Willows (Tone Poem).
Concerto For Trumpet, Tenor Saxaphone and Orchestra.In 1997 he founded the London Big Band, which contains the finest Jazz and Orchestral Musicians. They have made four CD's and given concerts at the Barbican, The London Palladium, the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Festival hall. On some concerts he combined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with the London Big Band totalling 114 musicians. All were filmed for video, television and DVD.
Any enquiries regarding all rights should be addressed to:
Simon Platz
Bucks Music Group
Onward House
11 Uxbridge Street
London. W8 7TQ
Tel: 020 7221 4275
Web site: www.bucksmusicgroup.com