NationMaster - Encyclopedia: George Fenton

George Fenton (born October 19, 1950) is a British composer best known for his work writing film scores and music for television, although he also writes music for the theatre. He was born George Howe in London and attended St Edward's School in Oxford. Image File history File links George_fenton_composer. ... October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A film score is the music in a film, generally written for the film and often used to heighten emotions provoked by the imagery on the screen or by the dialogue. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... St Edwards School (also colloquially known as Teddies) is a co-educational public school (that is, an independent, fee-charging secondary school) in North Oxford, England, on the Woodstock Road. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ...

Selected film and television credits

Fenton has composed the score for over seventy feature films. This is a small selection of his film and television credits.

For a comprehensive filmography see the George Fenton's Internet Movie Database (IMDb) entry link in External links. Hitch is a 2005 romantic comedy film, directed by Andy Tennant. ... Gandhi (1982) is an Anglo-Indian film, directed by Richard Attenborough, about the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (also known as Mahatma Gandhi), leader of the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. ... The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a 2006 film set during the Irish War of Independence (1919-21) and the subsequent Irish Civil War of 1922-23. ... Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 film directed by Stephen Frears. ... The Fisher King is a movie from 1991 written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. ... The Madness of King George is a 1994 film which tells the story of King George III of the United Kingdoms deteriorating mental health, and the equally declining relationship between him and his son, the Prince of Wales. ... Shadowlands is a 1993 movie directed by Richard Attenborough and written by William Nicholson, adapted from Nicholsons play also called Shadowlands. ... Synopsis Groundhog Day is a 1993 comedy film starring Bill Murray as Phil Conners, an egocentric Pittsburgh weatherman who dreads his annual assignment covering Groundhog Day from its birthplace in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. ... Fight Club[1] (1996) is the first published novel by American author Chuck Palahniuk. ... Cry Freedom is a feature film directed by Richard Attenborough, set in the 1970s, during the apartheid era of South Africa. ... Mrs Henderson Presents is a musical comedy film of 2005 directed by Stephen Frears. ... Movie poster from Ken Loachs Land and Freedom Land and Freedom is a 1995 film directed by Ken Loach and written by Jim Allen. ... Clockwise is a 1986 British comedy film starring John Cleese. ... The Crucible is a 1996 film written by Arthur Miller based on his play of the same name. ... Bewitched is a 2005 film adaptation of the classic television series of the same name, produced by Columbia Pictures. ... Bergerac is a British television show set on Jersey. ... Talking Heads is a series of dramatic monologues written for BBC television by the acclaimed British playwright Alan Bennett. ... The Jewel in the Crown is a British television drama series produced by Granada Television for ITV and based on the Raj Quartet novels by Paul Scott. ... The Blue Planet is a Discovery Channel/BBC Natural History Unit co-produced television series subtitled a natural history of the oceans, consisting of eight episodes, presented by David Attenborough, originally transmitted in September/ October 2001. ... Planet Earth is a BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 5 March 2006. ... Dangerous Beauty (1998) is a biographical drama film directed by Marshall Herskovitz. ...

Early career

Initially Fenton worked as an actor, getting an early break with a part in Alan Bennett’s play Forty Years On. He had some minor success appearing in the film Private Road, the soap opera Emmerdale Farm and in Alan Bennett’s first television play A Day Out directed by Stephen Frears and broadcast in 1972. Published by Faber/Profile Books in 2005 Alan Bennett (born May 9, 1934) is an English author and actor famous for his work, schoolboy-like appearance and his sonorous Yorkshire accent. ... Forty Years On is a song written by Edward Bowen and John Farmer in 1872. ... Emmerdale (known as Emmerdale Farm until 1989) is a British television soap opera set in the fictional Yorkshire village of the same name (known as Beckindale until 1994). ... Published by Faber/Profile Books in 2005 Alan Bennett (born May 9, 1934) is an English author and actor famous for his work, schoolboy-like appearance and his sonorous Yorkshire accent. ... Stephen Frears in Sweden, 1989 promoting his movie Dangerous Liaisons. ...

Often asked to play a musical instrument in productions, Fenton decided on an early career switch to composition. In 1974 he got his first major commission, composing and musical directing for Peter Gill's theatre production of Twelfth Night by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. This led to further work in British theatre, composing for productions at: The National Theatre, The Royal Exchange Theatre, The Royal Court, The Riverside Studios, and further compositions for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a comedy by William Shakespeare. ... Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon The Royal Shakespeare Company is a British theatre company. ... Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in Warwickshire, England. ... The Royal National Theatre from Waterloo Bridge The Royal National Theatre is a building complex and theatre company located on the South Bank in London, England immediately east of the southern end of Waterloo Bridge. ... Royal Exchange The Royal Exchange Theatre is a producing theatre in Manchester, England. ... The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, in the Chelsea area of London noted for its contributions to modern theatre. ... The Triumph Film Company moved, in 1933, to a former factory building located in Hammersmith, west London. ... Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon The Royal Shakespeare Company is a British theatre company. ...

Television

In 1976 Fenton wrote his first television score, continuing his collaboration with Peter Gill, composing for Gill's production of Hitting Town written by Stephen Poliakoff. Stephen Poliakoff Stephen Poliakoff (born December 1, 1952) is an acclaimed British playwright, director and scriptwriter, widely judged amongst Britains foremost television dramatists. ...

By the late 1970s Fenton was working regularly in television, becoming a popular choice for dozens of television productions.

He wrote the compositions for all six of the Six Plays by Alan Bennett which were broadcast during 1978 and 1979. Their collaboration continued with the TV series Objects of Affection in 1982. A year later he composed the score of Bennett's TV film An Englishman Abroad (1983) which was directed by John Schlesinger. Fenton also composed all of the episodes of Bennett's highly acclaimed Talking Heads series in 1987 and, a decade later, Talking Heads 2 in 1998. Published by Faber/Profile Books in 2005 Alan Bennett (born May 9, 1934) is an English author and actor famous for his work, schoolboy-like appearance and his sonorous Yorkshire accent. ... Published by Faber/Profile Books in 2005 Alan Bennett (born May 9, 1934) is an English author and actor famous for his work, schoolboy-like appearance and his sonorous Yorkshire accent. ... An Englishman Abroad is a film based on the true story of a chance meeting of an actress, Coral Browne, with Guy Burgess, one of the famous group of Soviet Union whilst with MI6. ... John Richard Schlesinger (February 16, 1926â€“July 25, 2003) was a British film director. ... Published by Faber/Profile Books in 2005 Alan Bennett (born May 9, 1934) is an English author and actor famous for his work, schoolboy-like appearance and his sonorous Yorkshire accent. ... Talking Heads is a series of dramatic monologues written for BBC television by the acclaimed British playwright Alan Bennett. ... Talking Heads is a series of dramatic monologues written for BBC television by the acclaimed British playwright Alan Bennett. ...

Fenton also collaborated regularly with the director Stephen Frears. Composing for his television productions of Bloody Kids (1979), Going Gently (1981), Saigon: Year of the Cat (1983), and Walter and June (1983). Stephen Frears in Sweden, 1989 promoting his movie Dangerous Liaisons. ...

By the mid 1980s Fenton was composing for big budget TV series including the multi BAFTA winning The Jewel in the Crown (1984) and the The Monocled Mutineer (1986). The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... The Jewel in the Crown is a British television drama series produced by Granada Television for ITV and based on the Raj Quartet novels by Paul Scott. ... Paul McGann as Percy Toplis in The Monocled Mutineer (1986) The Monocled Mutineer is a British television programme made by the BBC in 1986, shown on BBC1. ...

Perhaps the TV series which, for Fenton, reached the widest audience was Bergerac which ran for ten years between 1981 and 1991, and for which Fenton composed the much loved theme tune. He received his first major award for this, a BAFTA in 1982. Bergerac is a British television show set on Jersey. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ...

Television, wildlife

Fenton has composed for a number of notable wildlife television programmes, often for broadcaster David Attenborough. He started on the BBC's long running series Wildlife on One and Natural World, and continued with one-off specials such as Polar Bear. Sir David Frederick Attenborough, OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS (born on 8 May 1926 in London, England) is one of the worlds best known broadcasters and naturalists. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is one of the largest broadcasting corporations in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the UK alone and with a budget of more than Â£4 billion. ... Natural World (sometimes in the past titled Wildlife On One or Wildlife On Two) is a long running BBC television series on natural history. ... Natural World (sometimes in the past titled Wildlife On One or Wildlife On Two) is a long-running BBC television series on natural history. ...

Since 1990 he has written the music for a number of acclaimed and big budget wildlife series, these are:

His track record in this genre has placed him firmly as the BBC's composer of choice for its flagship wildlife documentaries. Trials of Life is a BBC (in conjunction with The Australian Broadcasting Service and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. ... Life in the Freezer is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 18 November 1993. ... The Blue Planet is a Discovery Channel/BBC Natural History Unit co-produced television series subtitled a natural history of the oceans, consisting of eight episodes, presented by David Attenborough, originally transmitted in September/ October 2001. ... The Blue Planet is a Discovery Channel/BBC Natural History Unit co-produced television series subtitled a natural history of the oceans, consisting of eight episodes, presented by David Attenborough, originally transmitted in September/ October 2001. ... The Blue Planet is a Discovery Channel/BBC Natural History Unit co-produced television series subtitled a natural history of the oceans, consisting of eight episodes, presented by David Attenborough, originally transmitted in September/ October 2001. ... Planet Earth is a BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 5 March 2006. ...

Television, jingles

Fenton has composed the jingles or theme music to dozens of British television and radio programs mostly for the BBC. Some of these are; the BBC's One O'Clock News, Six O'Clock News, and Nine O'Clock News, Newsnight and Newsnight Review, The Money Programme, On The Record, Omnibus, Breakfast Time, BBC World Service Television News, Westminster - In The House, Reporting Scotland, London Plus, The Midday News and Telly Addicts. A jingle is a memorable slogan, set to an engaging melody, mainly broadcast on radio and sometimes on television commercials. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a piece that is written specifically for that show and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is one of the largest broadcasting corporations in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the UK alone and with a budget of more than Â£4 billion. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is one of the largest broadcasting corporations in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the UK alone and with a budget of more than Â£4 billion. ... Six OClock News is a documentary film by Ross McElwee about television news in the United States, the randomness of fate, the anxiety of parenting, and the difference between representation and reality. ... The Nine OClock News is a BBC news programme which began in 1970 and ended in 2000. ... Newsnight is a British daily news analysis, current affairs and politics programme broadcast between 22:30 and 23:20 on weekdays on BBC Two. ... For the CNN programme see NewsNight with Aaron Brown Newsnight is a British daily news analysis, current affairs and politics programme broadcast on weekdays at 10. ... Reporting Scotland is BBC Scotlands national television news programme. ... London Plus was the name of the BBCs regional news programme for southeastern England. ... Telly Addicts was a game show which ran from 1985 to 1998 on BBC1, hosted by Noel Edmonds. ...

Films

George Fenton is best known as a composer of film scores. He has written the music for over seventy feature films and has collaborated with some of the most influential film makers of the late 20th century.

His transition from television to film scoring began in 1982 with Richard Attenborough’s biopic Gandhi for which he was nominated — with his collaborator, Ravi Shankar — for the Original Music Score Academy Award. Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, CBE (born August 29, 1923) is a prolific English film and stage actor, and Academy Award, BAFTA and three-time Golden Globe winning director, producer and entrepreneur. ... A biographical film or biopic is a film about a particular person or group of people, based on events that actually happened. ... Gandhi (1982) is an Anglo-Indian film, directed by Richard Attenborough, about the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (also known as Mahatma Gandhi), leader of the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. ... Pandit Ravi Shankar, Sitar Maestro Â© www. ... From Rule Sixteen of the Special Rules for The Music Awards Original Score: An original score is a substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ...

Fenton has regularly written further film scores for Attenborough's movies including: Shadowlands, Cry Freedom, In Love and War, and Grey Owl. Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, CBE (born August 29, 1923) is a prolific English film and stage actor, and Academy Award, BAFTA and three-time Golden Globe winning director, producer and entrepreneur. ... Shadowlands is a 1993 movie directed by Richard Attenborough and written by William Nicholson, adapted from Nicholsons play also called Shadowlands. ... Cry Freedom is a feature film directed by Richard Attenborough, set in the 1970s, during the apartheid era of South Africa. ... In Love and War is a 1996 romance drama film starring Mackenzie Austin, Chris ODonnell, Sandra Bullock and Margot Steinberg. ...

His long standing collaboration with Stephen Frears has not been limited to television productions. Fenton has scored four of Frear's feature films, these are: Dangerous Liaisons, Hero, Mary Reilly, and Mrs Henderson Presents. Stephen Frears in Sweden, 1989 promoting his movie Dangerous Liaisons. ... Stephen Frears in Sweden, 1989 promoting his movie Dangerous Liaisons. ... Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 film directed by Stephen Frears. ... Hero (also known as Accidental Hero) is a comedy and drama movie starring Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Andy Garcia, Chevy Chase, and Joan Cusack and directed by Stephen Frears. ... Mary Reilly is a 1996 film directed by Stephen Frears. ... Mrs Henderson Presents is a musical comedy film of 2005 directed by Stephen Frears. ...

Fenton has scored more feature films for Ken Loach than for anyone else, in June 2006 this totaled nine. This started in 1994 with Ladybird Ladybird, then, in chronological order; Land and Freedom, Carla's Song, My Name Is Joe, Bread and Roses, The Navigators, Sweet Sixteen, A Fond Kiss, and, most recently, The Wind That Shakes the Barley which won the Palme d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Ken Loach Kenneth Loach (born June 17, 1936), known as Ken Loach, is a English television and film director, known for his social realist style and socialist themes. ... Movie poster from Ken Loachs Land and Freedom Land and Freedom is a 1995 film directed by Ken Loach and written by Jim Allen. ... Carlas Song (1996) is a British movie directed by Ken Loach with screenplay by Paul Laverty. ... My Name Is Joe (1998) is a British film directed by Ken Loach. ... Bread and Roses is a 2000 British film, starring Adrien Brody, and directed by Ken Loach. ... The Navigators (2002) is a British movie directed by Ken Loach with screenplay by Rob Dawber. ... Sweet Sixteen was a 2002 film by director Ken Loach. ... Ae Fond Kiss is a 2004 film directed by Ken Loach, and starring Atta Yaqub and Eva Birthistle. ... The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a 2006 film set during the Irish War of Independence (1919-21) and the subsequent Irish Civil War of 1922-23. ... The Palme dOr (Golden Palm) is the name of the highest prize given to a film at the Cannes Film Festival. ... Poster for 2006 Cannes Film Festival, from the film In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai. ...

Fenton has developed other long-standing collaborations with film makers, scoring several films each for directors as diverse as: Harold Ramis, Neil Jordan, Nora Ephron, Nicholas Hytner, Phil Joanou, and Andy Tennant. Other influential film makers with whom he has worked include: Terry Gilliam, Pedro Almodóvar, Alan Clarke, Michael Radford, Michael Caton-Jones, Wayne Wang, Richard Eyre, Christopher Hampton, David Fincher, and Charles Sturridge. Harold Ramis (born November 21, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor, director, and writer. ... Neil Jordan is an Academy Award winning Irish filmmaker and novelist. ... Nora Ephron Nora Ephron (born May 19, 1941 in New York City, New York) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and novelist. ... Nicholas Hytner (born May 7, 1956) is an award-winning British theatrical and opera producer and director. ... Phil Joanou Phil Joanou (born November 20, 1961 in La CaÃ±ada, California) is an American film director. ... Andy Tennant (born in 1955) is an American dancer, screenwriter, and film and television director. ... Terry Gilliam at Karlovy Vary 2006. ... Pedro AlmodÃ³var Caballero born September 24, 1949) is a two-time Academy Award-winning Spanish filmmaker. ... See also Alan Clark, Allan Clarke. ... Michael Radford was born February 24, 1946 in New Delhi, India to a British father and Austrian mother. ... Michael Caton-Jones Michael Caton-Jones (Born Badgers Brook, Lothian, UK in 1958) is the Scottish-born director of such films as Scandal, Rob Roy, Memphis Belle and The Jackal. ... Wayne Wang (Chinese: çŽ‹ç©Ž; Hanyu Pinyin: ; born January 12, 1949) is a Chinese American film director. ... Sir Richard Eyre, (born 28 March 1943), is a British film and theatre director. ... Christopher Hampton (born January 26, 1946 to British parents in Fayal, Azores) is a British playwright, screen writer and film director. ... David Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American music video and film director known for his dark and stylish portraits of the human experience. ... Charles Sturridge (born June 24, 1951) is a British television and movie director. ...

For a comprehensive filmography see the George Fenton's Internet Movie Database (IMDb) entry link in External links.

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

BAFTA Awards

Emmy Awards

Golden Globes

Grammy Awards

Ivor Novello Awards

Venice Film Festival

Misc.

Fenton founded the Association of Professional Composers which later amalgamated with the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and with the Composers Guild of Great Britain to become the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of Music and is a visiting professor at the Royal College of Music. Founded on May 11, 1927 in California, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures. ... // The Royal College of Music from Prince Consort Road, London The Royal College of Music is a prestigious music school located in Kensington, London. ...

External links

Categories: 1950 births | Living people | Emmy Award winners | English film score composers | People from London | Television composers | Ivor Novello Award winners The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about motion pictures, actors, movie stars, TV shows, TV stars, production crew personnel, as well as video games. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about music recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and certain bootleg or off-label releases. ... MusicBrainz (MusicBrainz. ... October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Contents

Selected film and television credits GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");