Ron Grainer

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ronald Erle "Ron" Grainer (born August 11, 1922 in Atherton , Queensland , † February 21, 1981 in Cuckfield , Sussex , England ) was an Australian composer of theater, television and film music mainly in British productions.

Life

At the age of four, Grainer learned the violin and later also the piano and mastered both instruments perfectly as a teenager. After the Second World War he received his further training with Sir Eugene Goosens at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music . After his training, Grainer intended to begin a career as a composer and interpreter of classical music in England. However, when he arrived there in 1953 with his wife Margot, he initially only got a job as a pianist in light entertainment music with the show troupe The Alien Brothers & June , which also included Billy Daniels, Guy Mitchell , Frankie Laine , Al Martino and Billy Eckstine had committed. With this he had, among other things, three appearances in the London Palladium . Grainer also gained a reputation as a piano accompanist to well-known artists.

During this time, Grainer made his first recordings as the accompanist to Irish folk singers Charlie McGhee and Patrick O'Hagan and was also featured on a Christmas record by artist Shari . He liked the sounds of old musical instruments and began collecting historical instruments and also writing special music for them, including a jazz ballet.

After divorcing Margot and marrying his second wife Jennifer, Grainer settled in Roehampton . He worked as a music consultant for Associated Rediffusion TV , including on programs with Tito Gobbi and Maria Callas . Mainly, however, he was repeatedly employed as a pianist in the rehearsal room at BBC TV , which ultimately opened the musical doors for him. He has been entrusted with the composition of the music for a number of television plays and has also accepted the job as a music advisor to Julie Andrews .

In 1960 he was entrusted with the composition of the theme and background music for the new television series Maigret (1960) with Rupert Davies , in which he used the instruments harpsichord , banjo and clavichord , creating a French mood with the music that contributed to the success of the series (In the German version of the Maigret series , the title music by Grainer was exchanged for a composition by Ernst August Quelle ). The single and EP single with the title music was his first recording contract with Warner Bros. and reached number 20 in the British charts. Many other television series and movies followed, including the comedy Even the little ones want to go up , the crime series Paul Temple with Francis Matthews and Ros Drinkwater , the youth series Kim & Co and the science fiction series Doctor Who : Grainer was so impressed by Delia Derbyshire's recording of his composition that he wanted to see her included in the credits; however, he was unable to assert himself on the BBC.

Filmography (selection)

Awards

  • 1968: A Grammy nomination for To Sir, with Love (1967)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Stephen Cronin: Grainer, Ronald Erle . In: Douglas Pike (Ed.): Australian Dictionary of Biography . Volume 17. Melbourne University Press, Carlton (Victoria) 2007, ISBN 978-0-522-85382-7 (English).
personal data
SURNAME Grainer, Ron
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Grainer, Ronald Erle (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Australian composer
DATE OF BIRTH August 11, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Atherton , Queensland , Australia
DATE OF DEATH February 21, 1981
Place of death Cuckfield , Sussex , England