Education
Strachan attended Blaydon Grammar School and after reading maths and science at Queen Elizabeth College, London University he became a maths teacher.
Strachan attended Blaydon Grammar School and after reading maths and science at Queen Elizabeth College, London University he became a maths teacher.
He co-wrote the song "Mistletoe and Wine", which got Cliff Richard the 1988 Christmas number one. His television work includes the theme music for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He left teaching and became a musical director of theatre productions in London.
In 1976 he co-wrote his first musical, Shoot Up at Elbow Creek.
He also wrote The Little Match Girl, based on Hans Christian Andersen"s short story, for the Orange Tree, which contained the song "Mistletoe and Wine." HTV produced the play for television in 1986. Throughout the eighties and nineties he directed a series of popular and rock compilation musicals for Bill Kenwright.
In 1998, television production company Celador, for whom he had written the themes for The Detectives and Talking Telephone Numbers, called upon him to supply some music at short notice for a quiz show called Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. They needed someone to rearrange the popular song that Pete Waterman had written for lieutenant
Celador"s brief required "something dramatic and full of tension", so Strachan set upon composing a new piece altogether.
The show"s huge domestic and international success means that the composition has made them millionaires. In 2002, Keith and Matthew Strachan were given an award by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) for the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? theme. He also created the West End hit Dancing in the Streets.