Charles Williams (composer)

Charles Williams (born May 8, 1893 in London , † September 7, 1978 in Findon Valley , Worthing , West Sussex , England ) was a British composer and conductor .

Life

Charles Williams studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Originally a violinist, he later turned to composition. After the end of the Second World War he became the conductor of the new Queen's Hall Light Orchestra and later the Concert Orchestra there.

plant

Williams wrote numerous orchestral pieces and marches belonging to the popular music genre. He wrote a number of key melodies for broadcasts on British radio and television in the 1950s (such as The Voice of London , Dick Barton , Potter's Wheel , Television Newsreel ). He also composed the music for around 50 films between 1934 and 1968 (albeit often anonymous as the author, as his contributions served as so-called " stock music "), including A Lady Vanishes by Alfred Hitchcock . His greatest success was the play Jealous Lover in the film Das Appartement (1960) , originally created for The Romantic Age .

Film music (selection)

• 1935: The 39 Steps (The 39 Steps)
• 1938: A Lady Vanishes (The Lady Vanishes)
• 1941: Kipps - novel of a simple person (Kipps)
• 1942: The Night has Eyes
• 1942: The Young Mr. Pitt
• 1942: Women aren't Angels
• 1943: Thursday's Child
• 1943: The Silver Fleet
• 1943: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
• 1944: A Medal for the General
• 1944: English without Tears
• 1945: The Way to the Stars (with Nicolas Brodszky)
• 1946: Carnival
• 1946: Quiet Weekend
• 1947: While I Live
• 1949: That Dangerous Age
• 1949: The Romantic Age
• 1960: The apartment (The Apartment)

literature

• Peter Gammond: Oxford Companion to Popular Music , Oxford University Press , 1991, ISBN 0-19-280004-3
• CD supplement Naxos 8.554323D

Web links

• Charles Williams in the Internet Movie Database (English)