Career
Born in Margate, Kent, Fahey learned piano and cello and became interested in big band arranging and composing. During the Second World War he was a survivor of the Wormhoudt massacre which occurred on Tuesday 28 May 1940. After recovering from his wounds, he subsequently spent five years in Prisoner Of War Camps, during which time he worked on his musical skills.
Fahey played in various bands, but his passion was for arranging.
Between 1949 and 1959, he worked for the music publishers Chappells and Cinephonic Music, specialising in arrangements for singers, bands and orchestras, mainly for radio broadcasts. Fahey freelanced after 1959, working with recording companies, the British Broadcasting Corporation and in the theatre.
He provided scores for movies such as The Break (1963), Curse of Simba (1965), The Plank (1967) and Rhubarb (1969), and the theme to Pete Murray"s popular British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 2 show Open House. He became principal conductor of the British Broadcasting Corporation Scottish Radio Orchestra in 1972, and continued to work for the British Broadcasting Corporation after the orchestra was disbanded in 1981.
He was also Shirley Bassey"s musical director for a time.
