Prolific composer who fought to preserve Britain’s light music heritage by founding a library devoted to the form
After falling out of favour in the middle of the last century, light music, once a major part of British cultural life, has enjoyed a modest renaissance in recent years. Nobody did more to encourage this revival of interest than Ernest Tomlinson, who has died aged 90. He was a prolific composer, praised by the singer and broadcaster Catherine Bott for his “exceptional technical skills allied to a rare gift for melody”. Equally, he fought to preserve the light music heritage by founding the Library of Light Orchestral Music and acting as consultant and performer for an important series of CD recordings.
Ernest was born in the Lancashire mill town of Rawtenstall, one of four children of Fred, a factory foreman, and May (nee Culpan), a teacher. It was a musical household: Fred was the founding conductor of a local male voice choir and Ernest’s younger brother founded the Fred Tomlinson Singers, who featured in the Two Ronnies and Monty Python television series.
At nine, Ernest joined the Manchester Cathedral choir school, where he became head boy in 1939. After later attending Bacup and Rawtenstall grammar school for a spell, he studied organ, piano and clarinet at the Royal Manchester College of Music (now the Royal Northern College of Music) until he was conscripted into the RAF in 1943. On his return to civilian life, he completed his degree before moving to London. There he found employment as an arranger for Mills Music, was appointed organist at a Mayfair church and began to write orchestral works. The first broadcast of a Tomlinson composition (Passepied), on the BBC Light Programme, took place in 1949. His reputation grew steadily and by 1955 he was working full-time as a composer and conductor of his own light orchestra.
Among his earlier works were Little Serenade, which originated in a 1955 radio play The Story of Cinderella; a Fantasia on North Country Tunes; two Folk Dance Suites, and a Rhapsody and Rondo for the horn player Dennis Brain. Tomlinson also composed Symphony ’65, which he conducted in Moscow and was said to be the first piece of symphonic jazz to be performed in the Soviet Union.
Like many other serious composers, Tomlinson took on more commercial assignments. One of his most performed works, Sweet and Dainty, began life as an advertisement for Palmolive soap, while Tomlinson’s 100-plus library music items, thematic pieces for use by television and film companies, include National Pride and Stately Occasion.
He also took a leading role in music industry organisations from the 1960s. In 1966 he became chairman of the Composers Guild and in 1965 he was elected a composer director of the Performing Right Society. He remained on the board of the PRS for almost 30 years and Michael Freegard, head of the PRS for much of that time, described him as “holding strong opinions about certain things but very gracious about accepting that other views had validity”. He was also a stalwart of the Light Music Society, serving as chairman from 1966 to 2009.
In that capacity, Tomlinson fought against what he believed to be the sidelining of light music by the BBC. After 1967, when the Light Programme was abolished, the corporation’s hierarchy considered light music not serious enough for Radio 3 and too old-fashioned for the new Radio 2. When Tomlinson discovered that the corporation was discarding much of its collection of light music scores, he launched a rescue mission.
By this time he and his wife, Jean, whom he had married in 1949, had returned to Lancashire to live at her family’s farm. In 1984 they converted a barn to store the material that formed the Library of Light Orchestral Music. Containing thousands of scores, it remains a working library, providing repertoire for ensembles such as the Northern Concert Orchestra, founded and led by Tomlinson in the 70s.
Changes in the media provided new opportunities. Classic FM, the national commercial station, was hospitable to light music and Tomlinson’s tune Dick’s Maggot has been a staple of its playlist. In the recording world, enterprising small labels were challenging the established classical companies, and Tomlinson made several CDs for two of these, Naxos and Marco Polo, overseeing the British Light Music series of the latter.
While pursuing his career on the national stage, Tomlinson did not forget his roots in local music-making. In the 50s he had directed an amateur operatic society in Chingford, Essex, and back in Lancashire he succeeded his father as director of the Rossendale Male Voice Choir in 1976. In 1989 he founded another group, the Ribble Vale Choir.
Tomlinson was made an MBE in 2012, having previously been recognised by his music business peers with two Ivor Novello awards. He was also a keen sportsman, playing rugby union for Saracens and club cricket in Kent and Lancashire.
He is survived by his children, Ann, Geoffrey, Hilary and Linda, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Jean died in 2006.
After falling out of favour in the middle of the last century, light music, once a major part of British cultural life, has enjoyed a modest renaissance in recent years. Nobody did more to encourage this revival of interest than Ernest Tomlinson, who has died aged 90. He was a prolific composer, praised by the singer and broadcaster Catherine Bott for his “exceptional technical skills allied to a rare gift for melody”. Equally, he fought to preserve the light music heritage by founding the Library of Light Orchestral Music and acting as consultant and performer for an important series of CD recordings.
Ernest was born in the Lancashire mill town of Rawtenstall, one of four children of Fred, a factory foreman, and May (nee Culpan), a teacher. It was a musical household: Fred was the founding conductor of a local male voice choir and Ernest’s younger brother founded the Fred Tomlinson Singers, who featured in the Two Ronnies and Monty Python television series.
At nine, Ernest joined the Manchester Cathedral choir school, where he became head boy in 1939. After later attending Bacup and Rawtenstall grammar school for a spell, he studied organ, piano and clarinet at the Royal Manchester College of Music (now the Royal Northern College of Music) until he was conscripted into the RAF in 1943. On his return to civilian life, he completed his degree before moving to London. There he found employment as an arranger for Mills Music, was appointed organist at a Mayfair church and began to write orchestral works. The first broadcast of a Tomlinson composition (Passepied), on the BBC Light Programme, took place in 1949. His reputation grew steadily and by 1955 he was working full-time as a composer and conductor of his own light orchestra.
Among his earlier works were Little Serenade, which originated in a 1955 radio play The Story of Cinderella; a Fantasia on North Country Tunes; two Folk Dance Suites, and a Rhapsody and Rondo for the horn player Dennis Brain. Tomlinson also composed Symphony ’65, which he conducted in Moscow and was said to be the first piece of symphonic jazz to be performed in the Soviet Union.
Like many other serious composers, Tomlinson took on more commercial assignments. One of his most performed works, Sweet and Dainty, began life as an advertisement for Palmolive soap, while Tomlinson’s 100-plus library music items, thematic pieces for use by television and film companies, include National Pride and Stately Occasion.
He also took a leading role in music industry organisations from the 1960s. In 1966 he became chairman of the Composers Guild and in 1965 he was elected a composer director of the Performing Right Society. He remained on the board of the PRS for almost 30 years and Michael Freegard, head of the PRS for much of that time, described him as “holding strong opinions about certain things but very gracious about accepting that other views had validity”. He was also a stalwart of the Light Music Society, serving as chairman from 1966 to 2009.
In that capacity, Tomlinson fought against what he believed to be the sidelining of light music by the BBC. After 1967, when the Light Programme was abolished, the corporation’s hierarchy considered light music not serious enough for Radio 3 and too old-fashioned for the new Radio 2. When Tomlinson discovered that the corporation was discarding much of its collection of light music scores, he launched a rescue mission.
By this time he and his wife, Jean, whom he had married in 1949, had returned to Lancashire to live at her family’s farm. In 1984 they converted a barn to store the material that formed the Library of Light Orchestral Music. Containing thousands of scores, it remains a working library, providing repertoire for ensembles such as the Northern Concert Orchestra, founded and led by Tomlinson in the 70s.
Changes in the media provided new opportunities. Classic FM, the national commercial station, was hospitable to light music and Tomlinson’s tune Dick’s Maggot has been a staple of its playlist. In the recording world, enterprising small labels were challenging the established classical companies, and Tomlinson made several CDs for two of these, Naxos and Marco Polo, overseeing the British Light Music series of the latter.
While pursuing his career on the national stage, Tomlinson did not forget his roots in local music-making. In the 50s he had directed an amateur operatic society in Chingford, Essex, and back in Lancashire he succeeded his father as director of the Rossendale Male Voice Choir in 1976. In 1989 he founded another group, the Ribble Vale Choir.
Tomlinson was made an MBE in 2012, having previously been recognised by his music business peers with two Ivor Novello awards. He was also a keen sportsman, playing rugby union for Saracens and club cricket in Kent and Lancashire.
He is survived by his children, Ann, Geoffrey, Hilary and Linda, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Jean died in 2006.
Post a Comment