Richard Hill (musician)
Encyclopedia
Richard Hill is a British composer
who studied trombone initially at the Royal College of Music
in London England in the 1960s, before moving into music production and composition.
. Working under such conductors as Sir Georg Solti, Leonard Bernstein
and Rudolf Schwarz
, Hill further broadened his musical experience by playing Duke Ellington
's music under Billy Strayhorn in a production of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens.
In the 1960s Hill’s career underwent a sea change when he joined Polydor Records
as a producer and studio arranger at the height of the sixties pop boom. He stopped playing and began to compose. This in turn led to a career as a media composer in film, television and theatre. Film scores included To Kill a Clown starring Alan Alda
and Baffled starring Susan Hampshire
and Leonard Nimoy
.
In television, as well as writing many TV themes, station promos and advertising jingles, Hill wrote scores for major drama series, including Arnold Bennett
's Clayhanger trilogy, John Mortimer
's Will Shakespeare and Don Shaw's Sounding Brass.
Throughout this period Hill had worldwide success as co-writer with Johnny Hawkins of the musical Canterbury Tales, which ran for over five years in the West End
, became a Broadway
production for Frank Loesser
, and is still performed around the world.
More recently, between the mid 1990s and 2008 Hill has worked on some major concert hall/symphonic projects. The Symphony of Jazz repertoire, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Images from Kubla Khan all represent Hill’s new style of integrated contemporary music.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
who studied trombone initially at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
in London England in the 1960s, before moving into music production and composition.
Career
At the Royal College of Music Hill became a founder member of the London Gabrieli Brass Ensemble. He also worked in rock and jazz circles playing with the Dave Keir Jazz Band among others. After leaving College Hill played in a number of symphony orchestras on a freelance basis including the Royal Opera House Orchestra, the London Philharmonic and the PhilharmoniaPhilharmonia
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
. Working under such conductors as Sir Georg Solti, Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
and Rudolf Schwarz
Rudolf Schwarz
Rudolf Schwarz may refer to:* Rudolf Schwarz , German architect* Rudolf Schwarz , Austrian-born British conductor...
, Hill further broadened his musical experience by playing Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
's music under Billy Strayhorn in a production of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens.
In the 1960s Hill’s career underwent a sea change when he joined Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
as a producer and studio arranger at the height of the sixties pop boom. He stopped playing and began to compose. This in turn led to a career as a media composer in film, television and theatre. Film scores included To Kill a Clown starring Alan Alda
Alan Alda
Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
and Baffled starring Susan Hampshire
Susan Hampshire
Susan Hampshire, Lady Kulukundis, OBE is an English actress, best-known for her many television and film roles.-Early life:Susan Hampshire was born in Kensington, London, the youngest of four children. She had two sisters and one brother...
and Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
.
In television, as well as writing many TV themes, station promos and advertising jingles, Hill wrote scores for major drama series, including Arnold Bennett
Arnold Bennett
- Early life :Bennett was born in a modest house in Hanley in the Potteries district of Staffordshire. Hanley is one of a conurbation of six towns which joined together at the beginning of the twentieth century as Stoke-on-Trent. Enoch Bennett, his father, qualified as a solicitor in 1876, and the...
's Clayhanger trilogy, John Mortimer
John Mortimer
Sir John Clifford Mortimer, CBE, QC was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
's Will Shakespeare and Don Shaw's Sounding Brass.
Throughout this period Hill had worldwide success as co-writer with Johnny Hawkins of the musical Canterbury Tales, which ran for over five years in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
, became a Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production for Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser
Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
, and is still performed around the world.
More recently, between the mid 1990s and 2008 Hill has worked on some major concert hall/symphonic projects. The Symphony of Jazz repertoire, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Images from Kubla Khan all represent Hill’s new style of integrated contemporary music.