Nigel John Hess (born 22 July 1953) is a British composer, best known for his television, theatre and film soundtracks, including the theme tunes to '' Campion'', ''

Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created b ...

'', '' Wycliffe'', '' Dangerfield'', ''

Hetty Wainthropp Investigates ''Hetty Wainthropp Investigates'' is a British crime drama television series, starring Patricia Routledge as the title character, Henrietta "Hetty" Wainthropp, that aired for four series between 3 January 1996 and 4 September 1998 on BBC One. T ...

'', ''

Badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united b ...

'' and ''

Ladies in Lavender ''Ladies in Lavender'' is a 2004 British drama film written and directed by Charles Dance. The screenplay is based on a 1908 short story by William J. Locke. The film stars Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Natascha McElhone, and Miriam Margolyes. Plot ...

''.

Biography

Hess was born in

Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare, also known simply as Weston, is a seaside town in North Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. It includes the suburbs of Mead Vale, Milton, Oldmixon ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

. He was educated at Weston-super-Mare Grammar School for Boys, and went on to study music at

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, where he was Music Director of the famous

Footlights Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University. History Footlights' inaugural ...

Revue Company. He has since worked extensively as a composer and conductor in television, theatre and film. Hess has composed numerous scores for both American and British television productions, including '' A Woman of Substance'', '' Vanity Fair'', '' Campion'', ''Testament'' (Ivor Novello Award for Best TV Theme), ''

Summer's Lease ''Summer's Lease'' is a novel by Sir John Mortimer, author of the Rumpole novels, which is set predominantly in Italy. It was first published in 1988 and made into a British television mini-series, first shown in 1989. The title "Summer's Leas ...

'' (Television & Radio Industries Club Award for Best TV Theme), ''

Chimera Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to: * Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of Ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals * Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilicia ...

'', ''Titmuss Regained'', ''

'', ''Classic Adventure'', '' Dangerfield'', ''

Just William ''Just William'' is the first book of children's short stories about the young school boy William Brown, written by Richmal Crompton, and published in 1922. The book was the first in the series of William Brown books which was the basis for ...

'', '' Wycliffe'' (Royal Television Society Nomination for Best TV Theme), ''

The One Game ''The One Game'' is a four-part 1988 British television drama serial, produced by Central Independent Television and broadcast on ITV from 4 June to 25 June 1988. Set and filmed in Birmingham, it starred Patrick Malahide, Stephen Dillane (cr ...

'', '' Every Woman Knows a Secret'', ''

'' (Ivor Novello Award for Best TV Theme and Royal Television Society Nomination for Best TV Theme), ''

'', ''

Ballykissangel ''Ballykissangel'' is a BBC television drama created by Kieran Prendiville and set in Ireland, produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest as he became part of a rural comm ...

'', ''

New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the ...

'' and ''

Stick With Me Kid ''Stick With Me, Kid'' is a British television series created by Peter Hume that aired in 1995 on The Disney Channel. The series was created by Peter Hume, produced by Buena Vista Productions Ltd. and starred Kristopher Milnes and Leigh Lawson. ...

'' for Disney. His best-known film score is ''

'' (Classical Brits Nomination for Best Soundtrack Composer) starring Dame

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

and Dame

Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performer ...

. The music has become popular worldwide, and was performed in the film by violinist

Joshua Bell Joshua David Bell (born December 9, 1967) is an American violinist and conductor. He plays the Gibson Stradivarius. Early life and education Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana, to Shirley Bell, a therapist, and Alan P. Bell, a psychologis ...

with the

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

. While Hess was House Composer for the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

he contributed twenty scores for RSC productions, and highlights from his Shakespeare scores have been recorded and performed by the RPO in concert as ''The Food of Love'', hosted by Dame

and Sir

Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor who has a career spanning seven decades in various stage productions, television, film and video games. He has been nominated for Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actor ...

. His most recent RSC scores were for Christopher Luscombe's productions of ''Love's Labour's Lost'' and ''Love's Labour's Won''. Hess was awarded the New York

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

for ‘Outstanding Music in a Play’ for the productions of ''Much Ado About Nothing'' and ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' on Broadway. His most recent theatre scores have been written for

Shakespeare's Globe Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays, in the London Borough of Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames. The original theatre was built in ...

in London and include ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'', ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''Henry VIII'', ''The Knight of the Burning Pestle'' and ''Nell Gwynn''. The debut album of Hess’s vocal group

Chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...

(recently reissued as ''Saylon Dola'') won the Music Retailers Association Award for Best MOR Vocal Album, with tracks from the album subsequently covered by several artists, including tenor

Russell Watson Russell Watson is an English tenor who has released singles and albums of both operatic-style and pop songs. He began singing as a child, and became known after performing at a working men's club. He came to attention in 1999 when he sang "God ...

. Hess has also composed much concert music, particularly for symphonic wind band, including commissions from

Royal Air Force Music Services Royal Air Force Music Services is the organization which provides military musical support to the Royal Air Force. Based at RAF Northolt (previously at RAF Uxbridge) and RAF Cranwell, it forms the central administration of one hundred and sevent ...

and the

Band of the Coldstream Guards The Band of the Coldstream Guards is one of the oldest and best known bands in the British Army, having been officially formed on 16 May 1785 under the command of Major C F Eley. History The band of the Coldstream Guards was officially formed un ...

. July 2007 saw the première of Hess’s '' Concerto for Piano and Orchestra'' (Classical Brits Nomination for Composer of the Year), commissioned by the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

in memory of his grandmother. The soloist was internationally renowned pianist

Lang Lang Lang Lang (; born 14 June 1982) is a Chinese pianist who has performed with leading orchestras in China, North America, Europe, and elsewhere. Active since the 1990s, he was the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic, ...

. Other commissions include a new ballet based on The Old Man of Lochnagar, a children’s story written by the

in 1980, commissioned and premiered by the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain; ''A Christmas Overture'', commissioned by

John Rutter John Milford Rutter (born 24 September 1945) is an English composer, conductor, editor, arranger, and record producer, mainly of choral music. Biography Born on 24 September 1945 in London, the son of an industrial chemist and his wife, Rutte ...

and premiered by the

at the Royal Albert Hall, and ''A Celebration Overture'', commissioned by the

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is a music organisation based in Liverpool, England, that manages a professional symphony orchestra, a concert venue, and extensive programmes of learning through music. Its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmon ...

for its 175th anniversary and also premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in 2015. Hess is the great nephew of British pianist Dame

Myra Hess Dame Julia Myra Hess, (25 February 1890 – 25 November 1965) was an English pianist best known for her performances of the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann. Career Early life Julia Myra Hess was born on 25 February 1890 to a Jew ...

. He named his music publishing company Myra Music in her honour.

Notable TV compositions

Hess's notable television compositions include * Testament — awarded the

Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...

for best television theme * ''

'' — awarded the

Television and Radio Industries Club The Television and Radio Industries Club (widely known as TRIC) is a British institution chartered in 1931 to "promote goodwill in the television and radio industries". The Club holds an annual awards ceremony each March honouring achievement in te ...

award for best television theme * '' Wycliffe'' — nominated for the

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

best television theme * ''

'' — awarded the Ivor Novello Award for best television theme and nominated for the Royal Television Society best television theme award

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hess, Nigel 1953 births Living people English television composers English male composers People from Weston-super-Mare Ivor Novello Award winners Musicians from Somerset