British Composer Richard Hill

RICHARD HILL - A MUSICAL ADVENTURE

Baroque Sounds

Enjoy baroque music performed on synthesiser by Richard Hill.

Current selection: Opening of Fugue in D minor from Toccata & Fugue in D minor by JS Bach.

Born: Renfrew, Scotland. August 22, 1942.

Education: Royal College of Music, London.

Richard Hill's musical career began when he won an Open Scholarship to the Royal College of Music at the age of 17. There he studied trombone under Morris Smith, piano and harpsichord with Millicent Silver, composition with Philip Cannon and played principal trombone in the RCM first orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult.

Enjoy Richard's work in abstract computer art by visiting the art gallery

At the RCM Richard became a founder member of the London Gabrieli Brass Ensemble. He also started his own rock band (with minor chart success) and played jazz with the Dave Keir jazz band.

After leaving College he played in a number of symphony orchestras on a freelance basis including the Royal Opera House Orchestra, the London Philharmonic and the Philharmonia.

The orchestral experience gained under such conductors as Sir Georg Solti, Leonard Bernstein and Rudolf Schwarz was broadened by playing Duke Ellington's music under Billy Strayhorn in a production of Shakespeare's 'Timon of Athens'.

With an already developed interest in jazz and rock, Richard's career underwent a sea change when he was asked to join Polydor Records as a producer and studio arranger at the height of the sixties. He stopped playing and began to compose.

The opportunity to work in the music industry during such an exciting period led on 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, scores for major drama series were commissioned, including Arnold Bennett's 'Clayhanger' trilogy, John Mortimer's 'Will Shakespeare' and Don Shaw's 'Sounding Brass'.

Throughout this period Richard enjoyed worldwide success as co-writer of the musical 'The 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.

The influence of such a wide spectrum of musical experience, underpinned by a classical training, shines through Richard's current crossover compositions for concert hall and theatre, which have attracted such generous reviews.

In this new world of sound, jazz musicians naturally integrate with symphony orchestras, lieder singers perform to synthesizer tracks, actors narrate poetry to music and the arts of visual imagery and drama are never far away. The 'Symphony of Jazz' repertoire, 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' and 'Images from Kubla Khan' all reflect the accessible and original style which defines Richard Hill's contemporary music.