Composer. He was educated at Beckenham and Penge Grammar School, and decided to learn the Piano after contracting polio in 1947. He studied music at Trinity College of Music until 1957, when he won a scholarship at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s he worked successfully as a lecturer and music editor, working closely with Benjamin Britten for seven years. His first break into television and film music came in the 1960s when he was asked to write the advertising jingle for Nimble Bread, he went on to score episodes of Doctor Who and other serials. He also wrote three melodramas, "Sweeny Todd the Barber" (1977), "Dracula!" (1983) and "Frankenstein" (1987), and also a chamber opera, "The Girl from Nogami" (1976). In 1972 he published a book of comic songs which included his most famous composition, the nonsense song "Bananas in Pyjamas", which was later used as the theme tune for the television series "Bananas in Pyjamas" (Since 1992). This song was proved successful that profits from its sales supported his serious composing work for the rest of his life.
Composer. He was educated at Beckenham and Penge Grammar School, and decided to learn the Piano after contracting polio in 1947. He studied music at Trinity College of Music until 1957, when he won a scholarship at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s he worked successfully as a lecturer and music editor, working closely with Benjamin Britten for seven years. His first break into television and film music came in the 1960s when he was asked to write the advertising jingle for Nimble Bread, he went on to score episodes of Doctor Who and other serials. He also wrote three melodramas, "Sweeny Todd the Barber" (1977), "Dracula!" (1983) and "Frankenstein" (1987), and also a chamber opera, "The Girl from Nogami" (1976). In 1972 he published a book of comic songs which included his most famous composition, the nonsense song "Bananas in Pyjamas", which was later used as the theme tune for the television series "Bananas in Pyjamas" (Since 1992). This song was proved successful that profits from its sales supported his serious composing work for the rest of his life.
Bio by: js
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