Carl Davis, one of the UKs most versatile composers

I was sorry to read of the death of the composer Carl Davis. 

I only discovered this news by chance. For some reason, I did not notice it in any of the press, which considering his output was surprising. 

Carl composed the music for a film I was in, BIRTH OF THE BEATLES, as Richard Marquand and Dick Clark were unable to use any Beatles music, as the group, especially John Lennon, point blankly refused, and they needed something really good. Hence employing Carl. Dick Clark said the Beatles had tried to stop the film from being made. 

I was later told that all of the Beatles had seen the film from a legal point of view. 

I employed Carl to compose the score for THE WEATHER IN THE STREETS, a film with Michael York and Joanna Lumley and was struck by how little money he wanted. He later confided that as he had 100% of the music publishing, he would be more than well recompensed for his work.

I attended a live performance of one of the Thames Silent Classic series, for which he composed the music with a full orchestra. I can't remember if it was THE WIND or BROKEN BLOSSOM, and I seem to remember Lillian Gish was at the performance (she starred in both films).

I bumped into Carl in Barnes, where he lived when he was working with Paul McCartney on his Liverpool Oratorio, an eight-movement piece based on McCartney’s experiences of growing up in Liverpool. The piece was recorded in Liverpool Cathedral in 1991, featuring the classical soloists Kiri Te Kanawa and Willard White.

I asked Carl if Paul McCartney had brought up BIRTH OF THE BEATLES. He said no.

I then enquired if Carl would bring it up with him. "Absolutely not”, was his reply. It was not as good a film as it could have been despite so many people, including Carl trying. 

Carl Davis, RIP. 

David Nicholas Wilkinson