Simon May

The cover of May's 1994 compilation album, New Vintage
Born:	Devizes, Wiltshire
Occupation(s):	Composer
Nationality:	British
Genre(s):	Film and television
Website:	http://www.simonmay.co.uk

Simon May is a British musician and composer, best known for composing some of British television's best known theme tunes, including EastEnders and Howards' Way. ImageMetadata File history File links Simon_may_new_vintage. ... Arms of Devizes Devizes is a town and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... In English usage, nationality is the legal relationship between a person and a country. ... A literary genre is one of the divisions of literature into genres according to particular criteria such as literary technique, tone, or subject matter (content). ... 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. ... EastEnders, a popular BBC television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985[2] and continuing to date. ... Howards Way was a television drama series produced by BBC Birmingham and transmitted between 1985 and 1990. ...

Biography

Born in Devizes, Wiltshire and a pupil of Dauntsey's School, May won a choral scholarship to Cambridge University, where he acquired a degree in modern languages. While teaching languages and music at Kingston Grammar School, he co-wrote a musical named Smike with a colleague (Roger Holman). Following the publicity Smike attracted, May was contacted by the BBC, who televised the play in 1973. The show has subsequently been staged many times by youth drama groups. Arms of Devizes Devizes is a town and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... Dauntseys School Dauntseys School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in the village of West Lavington, Wiltshire, South West England. ... The University of Cambridge, located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with a reputation as one of the worlds most prestigious universities. ... Kingston Grammar School is an independent selective co-educational school in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. ... Smike is a pop musical adaptation of Charles Dickens Nicholas Nickleby, that was once televised for the BBC. It was originally devised in 1973 at Kingston Grammar School by two teachers, Simon May (who became a successful television composer) and Roger Holman, where it was again produced in December 2005. ... 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 £4 billion. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ...

While working at ATV, he was asked to compose some music for Crossroads. Stephanie de Sykes got to number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1974 with the subsequent "Born with a Smile on my Face", which was used within a storyline on the show. Almost a year later, her second single, "We'll Find Our Day" (from Smike) got to #17. The ATV colour logo, used from the start of the colour standard in 1969 until the companys demise in 1981. ... Crossroads was a British television soap opera set in a motel near Birmingham, England. ... Stephanie de Sykes was once a girlfriend of Angus Deayton. ... The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

Kate Robbins performed another of May's songs for Crossroads: "More than in Love," which was co-written by Barry Leng and got to number 2 in 1981. May himself performed "Summer of my Life", charting at #7 in October 1976, though his follow-up, "We'll Gather Lilacs", flopped. Kate Robbins is a Liverpudlian actress and impressionist. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ...

He co-produced Amii Stewart's "Knock on Wood", which reached number one in the USA. A 2005 Greatest Hits CD compilation Amy Paulette Stewart (born January 29, 1956 in Washington D.C.) is an American singer. ...

EastEnders

Simon wrote the theme to EastEnders.

Tony Holland and Julia Smith commissioned May to write the theme to EastEnders. Don Black put lyrics to the popular theme, and Anita Dobson (who portrayed Angie Watts in the show) reached No. 4 in August 1986 with "Anyone Can Fall in Love." Download high resolution version (1231x997, 167 KB)This photograph may be reproduced in a newspaper, magazine or website for publicity or editorial purposes in connection with the showing of the program as licensed by BBC Worldwide. ... Download high resolution version (1231x997, 167 KB)This photograph may be reproduced in a newspaper, magazine or website for publicity or editorial purposes in connection with the showing of the program as licensed by BBC Worldwide. ... Tony Holland (born in London, England) is a television writer. ... Julia on the EastEnders set. ... EastEnders, a popular BBC television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985[2] and continuing to date. ... Don Black (b. ... Anitas Christmas single cover Anita Dobson (born April 29, 1949 in Stepney, London, England) is a British television actress. ... Angela Angie Watts, played by Anita Dobson, was a fictional character on the British soap opera EastEnders. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

With Barry Rose, the theme was adapted into a hymn, "Glory be", which was performed on Songs of Praise and released on single. A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ... Songs of Praise is a BBC television programme based on religion and ethics, based around traditional Christian hymns. ...

Another soap storyline gave May a hit in 1986. Nick Berry ("Wicksy") topped the charts with "Every Loser Wins" after shamelessly plugging it in EastEnders (a storyline which Holland openly hated). It won the Ivor Novello Award for best selling single of 1986. 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nick Berry (born April 16, 1963) is a British television actor best known for his roles as Simon Wicksy Wicks in EastEnders (1985–90), PC Nick Rowan in Heartbeat (1992–98) and Mike Nicholls in Harbour Lights (1999). ... Simon Wicksy Wicks was a fictional character in the British BBC soap opera EastEnders. ... Every Loser Wins was a popular single by Nick Berry. ... The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards awarded for songwriting and composing. ...

In 1994 the theme itself was given an unpopular 'jazzy' update, with the original soon restored.

Post-EastEnders

Lyrics were also added to May's theme to Howards' Way; Marti Webb reached number 13 with "Always There" in 1986. The theme was only used over the credits on some episodes of the show. The orchestral version (performed by the Simon May Orchestra) was used over the opening titles of the first season, with the energetic orchestral "Barracuda" over the closing credits. Marti Webb in Andrew Lloyd Webbers Song and Dance (1982) Marti Webb (born 13 December 1944, in London) is a musical actress from England, who appeared on stage in Evita, before starring in Andrew Lloyd Webbers one woman show Tell Me On A Sunday in the mid 1980s. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He wrote lyrics for the final episode of Eldorado. Performed by Johnny Griggs, "When You Go Away" encapsulated how many felt about the axing of the show: Eldorado was an ill-fated British soap opera that aired for only one year, from 6 July 1992 to 9 July 1993. ...

"It was over before it had begun

And often love can go that way"

Mike Read wrote lyrics to May's Trainer theme. "More to Life" was performed by Cliff Richard. The theme won May his third TRIC award for Best TV Theme, after previous success with EastEnders and Howards' Way. Mike Read (born March 1, 1951) is an award-winning broadcaster from the UK, renowned for his work on both radio and television. ... Trainer is a British television series transmitted by the BBC between 1991 and 1992. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

In 1994, New Vintage, a compilation of some of May's work was released to coincide with his "A Night Away From The TV" UK tour. Unfortunately the tour wasn't a commercial success and some dates had to be cancelled. A Pebble Mill special documentary was produced by the BBC around this time discussing his career and the tour. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Pebble Mill Studios are located in the leafy suburbs of Birmingham, England. ...

He has recently reached number one in Belgium with "Fragile Not Broken," sung by Natalia. Natalia Druyts, best known by her stage name Natalia, was the first runner-up of the first season of the Belgian Pop Idol contest called Idool 2003. ...

He is currently a part of "Music on Screen", along with Simon Lockyer and John Brant, and also works part time as tutor at a special needs school in Surrey. Special needs is a legal term derived from the language in the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. ... Not to be confused with Surry. ...

Simon May's work includes:

Television

Lakeside Shopping Centre exterior The Lakeside Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping mall located in West Thurrock in the borough of Thurrock, just beyond the eastern boundary of Greater London. ...

Films

• Caught in the Act
• The Dawning

Stage Musicals

• Rip van Winkle
• Smike [also dramatised for BBC television]

Rip Van Winkle is a short story by Washington Irving published in 1819, as well as the name of the storys fictional protagonist. ... Smike is a pop musical adaptation of Charles Dickens Nicholas Nickleby, that was once televised for the BBC. It was originally devised in 1973 at Kingston Grammar School by two teachers, Simon May (who became a successful television composer) and Roger Holman, where it was again produced in December 2005. ...

External links

• Music On Screen Official website, with many music clips
• City Speakers International