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About Findon
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The Findon Valley Residents' Association is a charity registered in England and Wales: 267009
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Did you know? Charles Williams, Composer, 1893 - 1978 Information sourced from Wikipedia on the Internet. Findon Valley resident Charles Williams was a British composer and conductor, contributing music to over 50 films. While his career ran from 1934 through 1968, much of his work came to the big screen as stock music and was therefore unaccredited for his work. Charles Williams originally played as a freelance violinist in theatres, cinemas and symphony orchestras. He studied composition with Norman O'Neill, a fellow composer, at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 1933, he went to Gaumont British Films as composer and stayed there until 1939. He composed for many British films and radio shows. After the end of World War II, he became the conductor of the new Queen's Hall Light Orchestra. Later, he formed his own Concert Orchestra. He composed many orchestral pieces and marches, which were recorded in the "Mood Music" category of Light Music. Charles wrote the signature tunes of the radio programme The Voice of London and also Devil's Gallop, the familiar theme tune to the radio serial, Dick Barton. He also composed the popular piano concerto pastiche, The Dream of Olwen, for the film While I Live. His composition The Young Ballerina accompanied probably the most famous of the BBC's 1950s so-called interludes, namely The Potter's Wheel. An abridged version of his Majestic Fanfare (1935) was used by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for many years as the signature tune for its radio and television news broadcasts. A version as re-orchestrated by Richard Mills (Australian conductor and composer) in 1988 is still being used for radio news broadcasts. An adaptation of his High Adventure is the signature tune of the current Friday Night is Music Night programme on BBC Radio 2. Click here* to see a complete list of Charles Williams' musical works. Click here* to listen to 'The Dream of Olwen' from the film, While I live (1947). Click here* to listen to 'The Devil's Gallop' better known as the signature tune of Dick Barton. * PLEASE NOTE: a new window will pop up as you enter another website. You can return to the FVRA website by clicking once on the left arrow button on the top left hand corner of your screen.
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