Cyril Ornadel

Cyril Ornadel
Cyril Ornadel
Born 2 December 1924(1924-12-02)
London, England
Died 22 June 2011(2011-06-22) (aged 86)
Israel
Alma mater Royal College of Music
Occupation Composer

Cyril Ornadel (2 December 1924 – 22 June 2011) was a British conductor, songwriter and composer chiefly in musical theatre.

Cyril Ornadel was born in London. He studied at the Royal College of Music. During the 1950s he was famous for conducting the orchestra for the hit TV show The Sunday Night At The Palladium. This followed as a musical director for a number of major West End shows, including the first London production of My Fair Lady and at the London Palladium the hit shows The Sound of Music and The King and I starring Yul Brynner. He composed several musicals of his own, including Pickwick (1963) (lyrics by Leslie Bricusse), starring Harry Secombe, out of which came the hit song "If I Ruled The World", which won an Ivor Novello Award sung most famously by Tony Bennett; Great Expectations (1975) starring John Mills, both adapted from Charles Dickens; and Treasure Island (1973) adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson and starring Bernard Miles and Spike Milligan. Great Expectations and Treasure Island (both with lyrics by Hal Shaper) were designated Best British Musical at the Ivor Novello Awards. He also penned the song Portrait of My Love (lyrics by Norman Newell), a hit for Matt Monro in 1960, which also won an Ivor Novello Award. At My Time of Life from Great Expectations was recorded by Bing Crosby in 1976.

Cyril Ornadel's contribution to music for television includes scores for Edward the Seventh (1975), which won a BAFTA, starring Timothy West as Edward VII; and the music for the British television science-fiction series Sapphire & Steel (1979). He also conducted music with the London Symphony Orchestra for The Strauss Family, by the eponymous composers and was presented with a Gold Disc for sales. Dancing Years was arranged and conducted by Cyril Ornadel.

He worked regularly with David Croft, the TV writer, director and producer as well as Norman Newell and Hal Shaper. He was awarded the prestigious Gold Badge of Merit by the British Academy of Songwriters and Authors for services to British Music and won a total of four Ivor Novello Awards.

Cyril Ornadel's autobiography "Reach for the Moon" was published by The Book Guild in 2007. He died in June 2011, aged 86.

Cyril had two sons and a daughter, Dan, Sharon and Guy. Dan is a consultant in respiratory medicine working at Northwick Park Hospital, Sharon teaches English for the English Council and Guy is the managing director of Mainstage Artists and Ornadel Management.

References

  • Bloom, Ken. American song. The Complete Musical Theater Companion. 1877–1995’’, Vol. 2, 2nd edition, Schirmer Books, 1996.
  • Cummings, David M.; McIntire, Dennis K. (Ed.). International who's who in music and musician's directory. In the classical and light classical fields, Twelfth edition 1990/91, International Who's Who in Music 1991.
  • Larkin, Colin. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 3rd edition, Macmillan, 1998.
  • Musicians' Union national directory of members 2001, 2nd edition, Musicians's Union, 2001.

External links

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