30:
209:
originally with Derek at the piano, Bob Duffy on bass and Bob Turner at the drums were a staple of
Granada’s ‘People and Places’, exchanging sardonic repartee with presenter Billy Grundy. The line-up changed over time to Amos Smith on drums and finally to Dave Lynane on bass and Dave Hassall as drummer. From 1963 – 1964 The Derek Hilton Trio were also resident musicians at Manchester nightclub Mr Smiths. By 1963 Derek had composed, arranged or played more than 500 TV themes. As musical director at Granada TV Derek is credited with writing the highest number of television themes in the United Kingdom – a total of 241.
124:. The son of Alfred Redvers Hilton, a keen amateur operatic singer, and Emily, a Shropshire girl in service as a maid, Derek began piano lessons at six-years old. Showbusiness had fired his imagination after visiting the music hall at Bury Hippodrome, where he recalled the spotlights transforming the dingy hall into a pink and magical palace. 'When I was nine or ten I used to make stages and put tiny musicians on them,' he said. 'I always wanted to play music.’
180:
681:
After thirty-two years with
Granada, Hilton retired, though continuing to write music, for the stage play Feed and as Musical Director on P & O and Cunard cruise ships. He was married twice, the second time to Valerie George, whom he later divorced. Hilton died on 11 July 2005 and leaves three
208:
in 1956. A few weeks later, Derek was called in to play 'Mountain
Greenery' on 'Spot the Tune' leading to a permanent spot. Soon Derek's professionalism led to his regularly playing at two shows a day, five days a week: ‘Sharp at Four’ and ‘People and Places’ at 6 pm. The Derek Hilton Trio,
187:
In
Germany Derek met his first wife Mary Witsenburg, a Dutch girl stranded in Hamburg throughout the war and they married in London in 1949. There followed a busy time touring as pianist with orchestras and leaders such as
196:, eventually spending three happy years working in dance bands in Jersey. After settling back in Manchester in 1953, he taught at the Regional Schools of Music led by Johnny Roadhouse at Decibel Studios, Oxford Road.
461:
226:
663:) at the piano when she sang on the show. He was also a regular at the keyboard at The Wheeltapper's and Shunter's Social Club where he was the MD overseeing 'the turns.' A passionate
928:
342:
356:
923:
349:
503:
406:
399:
908:
281:
148:
that he was more useful playing the piano in the Mess than out on the parade ground. Next came postings to Italy, Austria, Germany and France with "
599:
309:
260:
667:
fan, in 1972 Derek wrote Bury's anthem Aye, aye, Up the
Shakers sung by The Bury Tones which was for many years a rousing anthem for Shakers fans.
524:
434:
754:
441:
108:. He is mostly remembered for his television themes and is credited as writing a total of 241. He also composed under the pseudonym John Snow.
578:
783:
104:(3 February 1927 – 11 July 2005) was an English musician and composer who worked for most of his professional career as musical director at
918:
193:
809:
564:
913:
141:
176:
as pianist and arranger gave him invaluable experience in jotting down parts at high speed for each night's performance.
117:
64:
682:
daughters from his first marriage, Marijke Snell, Lorraine Howell, a designer and
Martine Bailey, a writer.
219:
420:
363:
699:
869:
864:
204:
Hilton's big break came when his trio provided the music at the Press
Reception for the newly launched
370:
247:
479:
725:
377:
323:
240:
29:
330:
903:
898:
651:. To the general viewer Derek was perhaps best known for re-recording and re-arranging the
648:
413:
149:
8:
453:
267:
233:
636:
145:
878:
652:
548:
532:
132:
By fourteen years of age Derek was leading his band 'The
Rhythmic Blue Notes' on the
116:
Derek Hilton was born on 3 February 1927 at a modest terraced house in York Street,
316:
288:
189:
121:
883:
656:
644:
640:
553:
540:
835:
670:
173:
161:
136:, as well as becoming a founder member of Besses o' th' Barn Brass Band on the
892:
510:
384:
165:
157:
153:
673:
contains several of Derek's' library tracks which are available currently.
660:
622:
614:
603:
1973 Ivor
Novello Award, Outstanding Contribution to British Popular Music.
557:
427:
302:
295:
169:
105:
874:
205:
81:
392:
133:
179:
137:
639:, heard daily on Radio 2. Other credits are incidental music for
664:
496:
870:
Derek Hilton (under the pseudonym John Snow) at De Wolfe
Website
585:
274:
778:
776:
749:
747:
929:
Military personnel from the Metropolitan Borough of Bury
635:
In 1969 he created the theme to radio's long-standing '
773:
744:
884:Derek Hilton and John Snow at the MCPS-PRS Website
810:"O'Sullivan is honored by U.K. Songwriters' Guild"
465:(Mr Rose theme composed under pseudonym John Snow)
890:
517:
212:
924:King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry soldiers
250:: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Glass Menagerie
909:People from Whitefield, Greater Manchester
28:
565:The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club
536:(Derek Hilton Trio daily spot 1958 -1963)
178:
891:
626:Ivor Novello nomination for Best Theme
630:
462:The Odd Man/It's Dark Outside/Mr Rose
919:20th-century British Army personnel
142:King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
140:. Conscripted at 18, he joined the
13:
14:
940:
858:
865:Derek Hilton at De Wolfe Website
676:
571:
618:Best Original Television Music.
183:Derek playing in a band in 1950
164:. Working with stars including
914:20th-century British musicians
828:
802:
718:
692:
607:
144:and persuaded his officers at
1:
814:Billboard, International News
685:
127:
199:
111:
7:
730:The Guardian by Michael Cox
518:Notable performance credits
10:
945:
213:Granada Television credits
759:Crescendo by Alan Stevens
655:in 1972 and accompanying
592:
248:Laurence Olivier Presents
88:
71:
51:
41:
36:
27:
20:
755:"Solo Spot Derek Hilton"
726:"Obituary: Derek Hilton"
700:"Obituary: Derek Hilton"
357:Granada Close Down Music
653:Coronation Street theme
552:– piano accompanist to
388:(12 episodes 1967–1969)
184:
37:Background information
331:The Flower of Gloster
182:
92:Composer and musician
784:"Band Call Round-up"
649:Brideshead Revisited
350:Ghost of Motley Hall
343:For King and Country
150:Stars in Battledress
102:Derek Redvers Hilton
504:This Year Next Year
457:(TV theme and film)
454:Nearest and Dearest
407:Leave it to Charlie
400:Last of the Baskets
268:The Corridor People
234:Big Breadwinner Hog
631:Miscellaneous Work
486:Shades of Darkness
227:All Our Yesterdays
185:
106:Granada Television
549:Coronation Street
533:People and Places
337:The Glamour Girls
96:
95:
936:
852:
851:
849:
847:
840:awards.bafta.org
832:
826:
825:
823:
821:
806:
800:
799:
797:
795:
780:
771:
770:
768:
766:
751:
742:
741:
739:
737:
732:. 27 August 2005
722:
716:
715:
713:
711:
696:
469:Once Upon A Time
317:The Entertainers
289:The Cuckoo Waltz
282:Criss-Cross Quiz
220:A Kind of Loving
190:Johnny Dankworth
146:Berwick-on-Tweed
122:Bury, Lancashire
78:
61:
59:
44:
32:
18:
17:
944:
943:
939:
938:
937:
935:
934:
933:
889:
888:
861:
856:
855:
845:
843:
834:
833:
829:
819:
817:
808:
807:
803:
793:
791:
782:
781:
774:
764:
762:
753:
752:
745:
735:
733:
724:
723:
719:
709:
707:
706:. 1 August 2005
698:
697:
693:
688:
679:
657:Rita Fairclough
645:Inspector Morse
641:Sherlock Holmes
637:Waggoner's Walk
633:
610:
600:Country Matters
595:
574:
554:Rita Fairclough
541:World in Action
520:
310:The Dustbin Men
261:Country Matters
215:
202:
130:
114:
99:
80:
76:
63:
62:3 February 1927
57:
55:
42:
23:
12:
11:
5:
942:
932:
931:
926:
921:
916:
911:
906:
901:
887:
886:
881:
872:
867:
860:
859:External links
857:
854:
853:
836:"Bafta Awards"
827:
801:
772:
743:
717:
690:
689:
687:
684:
678:
675:
671:De Wolfe Music
632:
629:
628:
627:
619:
609:
606:
605:
604:
594:
591:
590:
589:
582:
573:
570:
569:
568:
561:
545:
537:
529:
525:Spot That Tune
519:
516:
515:
514:
507:
500:
493:
488:
483:
476:
471:
466:
458:
450:
445:
438:
435:Man in Room 17
431:
424:
417:
410:
403:
396:
389:
381:
374:
367:
360:
353:
346:
339:
334:
327:
320:
313:
306:
299:
292:
285:
278:
271:
264:
257:
252:
244:
237:
230:
223:
214:
211:
201:
198:
174:Richard Tauber
162:Spike Milligan
129:
126:
113:
110:
98:Musical artist
97:
94:
93:
90:
86:
85:
79:(aged 78)
73:
69:
68:
53:
49:
48:
45:
39:
38:
34:
33:
25:
24:
21:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
941:
930:
927:
925:
922:
920:
917:
915:
912:
910:
907:
905:
902:
900:
897:
896:
894:
885:
882:
880:
876:
873:
871:
868:
866:
863:
862:
841:
837:
831:
816:. 19 May 1973
815:
811:
805:
789:
785:
779:
777:
760:
756:
750:
748:
731:
727:
721:
705:
704:The Telegraph
701:
695:
691:
683:
677:Personal life
674:
672:
668:
666:
662:
658:
654:
650:
646:
642:
638:
625:
624:
620:
617:
616:
612:
611:
602:
601:
597:
596:
588:
587:
583:
581:
580:
576:
575:
572:Stage credits
567:
566:
562:
559:
555:
551:
550:
546:
543:
542:
538:
535:
534:
530:
527:
526:
522:
521:
513:
512:
511:Yanks Go Home
508:
506:
505:
501:
499:
498:
494:
492:
489:
487:
484:
482:
481:
477:
475:
472:
470:
467:
464:
463:
459:
456:
455:
451:
449:
446:
444:
443:
439:
437:
436:
432:
430:
429:
425:
423:
422:
418:
416:
415:
411:
409:
408:
404:
402:
401:
397:
395:
394:
390:
387:
386:
385:ITV Playhouse
382:
380:
379:
375:
373:
372:
371:Hickory House
368:
366:
365:
361:
359:
358:
354:
352:
351:
347:
345:
344:
340:
338:
335:
333:
332:
328:
326:
325:
321:
319:
318:
314:
312:
311:
307:
305:
304:
300:
298:
297:
293:
291:
290:
286:
284:
283:
279:
277:
276:
272:
270:
269:
265:
263:
262:
258:
256:
253:
251:
249:
245:
243:
242:
238:
236:
235:
231:
229:
228:
224:
222:
221:
217:
216:
210:
207:
197:
195:
191:
181:
177:
175:
171:
167:
166:Gracie Fields
163:
159:
158:Peter Sellers
155:
154:Harry Secombe
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
125:
123:
119:
109:
107:
103:
91:
89:Occupation(s)
87:
83:
74:
70:
66:
54:
50:
46:
40:
35:
31:
26:
19:
16:
875:Derek Hilton
844:. Retrieved
839:
830:
818:. Retrieved
813:
804:
792:. Retrieved
787:
763:. Retrieved
761:. March 1966
758:
734:. Retrieved
729:
720:
708:. Retrieved
703:
694:
680:
669:
661:Barbara Knox
634:
623:Lost Empires
621:
615:Lost Empires
613:
598:
584:
577:
563:
558:Barbara Knox
547:
539:
531:
523:
509:
502:
495:
490:
485:
480:Shabby Tiger
478:
473:
468:
460:
452:
447:
442:Maths is Fun
440:
433:
428:Lost Empires
426:
419:
412:
405:
398:
391:
383:
376:
369:
362:
355:
348:
341:
336:
329:
322:
315:
308:
303:The Division
301:
296:D H Lawrence
294:
287:
280:
273:
266:
259:
254:
246:
239:
232:
225:
218:
203:
186:
152:" alongside
131:
115:
101:
100:
77:(2005-07-11)
75:11 July 2005
47:Derek Hilton
22:Derek Hilton
15:
904:2005 deaths
899:1927 births
608:Nominations
528:(209 shows)
491:The Sinners
378:Inheritance
324:Fallen Hero
241:The Caesars
170:Kay Kendall
893:Categories
790:. May 1963
686:References
474:Paris 1900
421:The Lovers
206:Granada TV
194:Sonny Rose
128:Experience
118:Whitefield
82:Manchester
65:Whitefield
58:1927-02-03
43:Birth name
788:Crescendo
544:Theme jam
393:Judge Dee
255:Comedians
200:Big Break
134:accordion
112:Childhood
84:, England
67:, England
414:Lift Off
138:trombone
665:Bury FC
497:Spindoe
364:Haunted
120:, near
846:13 May
842:. 1987
820:13 May
647:, and
593:Awards
448:Murder
794:4 May
765:4 May
736:4 May
710:4 May
586:Clogs
275:Cribb
879:IMDb
848:2015
822:2015
796:2015
767:2015
738:2015
712:2015
579:Feed
192:and
172:and
160:and
72:Died
52:Born
877:at
895::
838:.
812:.
786:.
775:^
757:.
746:^
728:.
702:.
643:,
168:,
156:,
850:.
824:.
798:.
769:.
740:.
714:.
659:(
560:)
556:(
60:)
56:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)
