Ivor Ernst Slaney (born 27 May 1921 in West Bromwich, United Kingdom, d. 20 March 1998, Southampton, United Kingdom) was a prolific musical composer and

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...

, notable for his work in

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, television and radio. Slaney was educated at the Royal College of Music, and married Mary D Ludlow pianist Dolores Ventura in 1948. He divorced in 1969 and remarried in 1974. His father, Ernst Wallace Slaney, was the principal 'cellist in the

Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an English orchestra, founded in 1893 and originally based in Bournemouth. With a remit to serve the South and South West of England, the BSO is administratively based in the adjacent town of Poole, ...

in the 1920s and 1930s under Sir Dan Godfrey. As a youngster Ivor joined the choir of St Stephen's Church, Bournemouth where he was also taught by

Percy Whitlock Percy William Whitlock (1 June 1903 in Chatham, Medway, Chatham, Kent – 1 May 1946 in Bournemouth), was an English organist and Post-romanticism, post-romantic composer. Percy Whitlock studied at London's Royal College of Music with Charles ...

, the church's Director of Music and a colleague of Ernst Slaney at the Bournemouth Pavilion. According to Whitlock's diary, Ivor was known as 'Tiny'. Ivor's mother was Grace Elizabeth Arney (b 22 April 1893, died July 1988). She married Ernst in Bristol in 1920. In 1935, aged 14, Ivor entered the Royal Artillery in Woolwich and gained a scholarship to the Royal College of Music. Following this, he joined up as a musician in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. Ivor Slaney's son, Adrian E Slaney, was born in 1950. His daughter was born in 1979. In later life Ivor Slaney lived in Milford on Sea, Hampshire. His best-known works include ''"Top Dog"'', which was used as the theme music for the BBC radio comedy series '' The Men from the Ministry'' and Carlos' Theme (from '' The Sentimental Agent'') for which he won an Ivor Novello award. Ivor Slaney also composed hundreds of mood music pieces,

fanfare A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish which is typically played by trumpets, French horns or other brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion. It is a "brief improvised introduction to an instrumental perfo ...

s and "stings". Many examples are available on the DeWolfe site (see below). He also wrote the music for several

Hammer Films A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as wi ...

, including '' 36 Hours'' (1953), '' The Gambler and the Lady'' (1953), ''

Spaceways ''Spaceways'' is a 1953 science fiction drama film from Hammer Film Productions Ltd. and Lippert Productions Inc., produced by Michael Carreras, directed by Terence Fisher, that stars Howard Duff and Eva Bartok, and co-stars Alan Wheatley. '' ...

'' (1953), and ''

The House Across the Lake ''The House Across the Lake'' is a 1954 British crime film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Alex Nicol, Hillary Brooke, Sid James and Susan Stephen. A film noir it was produced as a second feature by Hammer Films and shot at the company's Br ...

'' (1954), as well as the scores to '' The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It'' (1977), '' Prey'' (1977), ''

Terror Terror(s) or The Terror may refer to: Politics * Reign of Terror, commonly known as The Terror, a period of violence (1793–1794) after the onset of the French Revolution * Terror (politics), a policy of political repression and violence Emoti ...

'' (1978), and '' Death Ship'' (1980). Slaney was also composer and musical director for the British Children's Film Foundation cinema movie series ''

The Magnificent Six and 1/2 ''The Magnificent Six and 1/2'' was a British comedy film series for the Children's Film Foundation. Based on Hal Roach's popular Our Gang series of shorts, "Six and 1/2" followed a group of seven children on their fun misadventures. Created by ...

'' from 1968–69, as well as the TV series ''

Here Come the Double Deckers ''Here Come the Double Deckers!'' is a 17-part British children's television series originally broadcast from 1970 until 1971 on BBC1, revolving around the adventures of seven children whose den was an old red double-decker London bus in a scr ...

'' (1970–71) which followed it. He also composed the theme to the "

Harry Worth Harry Bourlon Illingsworth (20 November 1917 – 20 July 1989), professionally known as Harry Worth, was an English comedy actor, comedian and ventriloquist. Worth portrayed a charming, gentle and genial character, totally bemused by life, ...

" TV show which showed the famous "window routine".

External links

Biography of Slaney by David NoadesIvor Slaney music (full excerpts) at www.dewolfe.co.uk
*

References

1921 births 1998 deaths Alumni of the Royal College of Music 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century English composers {{UK-composer-stub