Background
Ornadel was born in London, and studied at the Royal College of Music.
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Cyril Ornadel
Edit ProfileEducation
Royal College of Music.
Career
He worked regularly with David Croft, the television writer, director and producer, as well as Norman Newell and Hal Shaper. During the 1950s he was famous for conducting the orchestra for the hit television show Sunday Night at the London 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.
Great Expectations and Treasure Island (both with lyrics by Hal Shaper) were designated Best British Musical at the Ivor Novello Awards.
"At My Time of Life" from Great Expectations was recorded by Bing Crosby in 1976. 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.
A highlight of his career included conducting the London Symphony Orchestra at Wembley Arena with music from The Strauss Family in 1973. His film work included Some May Live (1967), Subterfuge (1968), I Can"t.
I Can"t (1969), Not Now Darling (1973), and many Pete Walker films including Manitoba of Violence (1969), Cool lieutenant Carol! (1970), Die Screaming, Marianne (1971), The Flesh and Blood Show (1972) and Tiffany Jones (1973).
Ornadel"s autobiography, Reach for the Moon, was published by the Book Guild in 2007. He died in June 2011, aged 86. 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.
Achievements
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He was awarded the Gold Badge of Merit by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors for services to British Music and won a total of four Ivor Novello Awards. He composed several musicals of his own, including Pickwick (1963, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse), starring Harry Secombe, from which came the hit song "If I Ruled the World", which won an Ivor Novello Award. 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. He also penned the song "Portrait of My Love" (lyrics by Norman Newell), a hit for Matt Monro in 1960, which also won the 1960 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. Ornadel"s contribution to music for television includes scores for the remake of Brief Encounter (1974) starring Richard Burton and Sophia Loren, Edward the Seventh (1975), which won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts, starring Timothy West as Edward VII, and the music for the British television science-fiction series Sapphire & Steel (1979).
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Born
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Died
June 22, 2011 (aged 86) -
Nationality
United Kingdom