Brian Fahey; Arranger and composer of big-band music who wrote At The Sign Of The Swingin' Cymbal
Hyfler/Rosner
May 17, 2007
Brian Fahey
Arranger and composer of big-band music who wrote At The
Sign Of The Swingin' Cymbal
Brian Fahey was one of Britain's foremost arrangers and
composers of big-band music. He worked with many of the
country's leading show-business stars, including Dame
Shirley Bassey, whose musical director he was from 1967 to
1972. He was also a friend of Ella Fitzgerald.
His most famous and commercially successful work was At The
Sign Of The Swingin' Cymbal - adopted by the late Alan
Freeman as the theme tune for his Pick Of The Pops
programme. He also wrote the international hit The Creep for
the Ken Mackintosh Band, and his Fanfare Boogie, written for
the Eric Winstone Band, was nominated for an Ivor Novello
Award in 1955.
Born in Margate, Kent, Fahey was educated at Colfes Grammar
School, where he learnt the piano and cello. On leaving
school he worked as a clerk with a leather company in east
London.
Following the outbreak of The Second World War, as a
territorial soldier, Fahey was drafted into the regular
army, serving on the front line at Dunkirk with the Royal
Artillery. Lance-Bombardier Fahey was captured by German
troops while helping to cover the mass evacuation of the
expeditionary forces.
Following five years' captivity in various German POW camps,
during which time he perfected his musical skills, Fahey was
demobbed in 1946, whereupon he joined the Musicians' Union
and became a member of the Rudy Starita Band as pianist for
an Entertainments National Service Association tour of Egypt
and Palestine. During that time Fahey met and fell in love
with band singer Audrey Watkins, whom he married the same
year. The couple had six children.
Following the tour Fahey played in various bands and worked
for music publishers Chappells and Cinephonic Music from
1949-1959, specialising in arrangements for singers, bands
and orchestras, mainly for radio broadcasts.
He then worked freelance, forming lasting associations with
several major recording companies, and the BBC. He
subsequently wrote a number of film scores and ventured into
the world of the theatre. In 1972 he was invited to become
principal conductor of the BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra, a
position he held for nine years.
Fahey, - who won numerous awards, including, in 1997, the
MU/BBC Arranging Award, - continued to work for the BBC
following the disbandenment of the SRO in 1981 and was a
guest conductor with many orchestras throughout the world.
Fahey's wife predeceased him. He is survived by his six
children.
Brian Fahey, musician, composer and musical director, was
born on April 25, 1919. He died on April 4, 2007, aged 87