Editing Ron Goodwin

{{Short description|English composer and conductor (1925–2003)}}
{{for|another person|Ron Goodwin (American football)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{More footnotes|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name               = Ron Goodwin
| image              = rongoodwin.jpg
| background       = non_performing_personnel
| birth_name       =Ronald Alfred Goodwin
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|df=yes|1925|2|17}}
| birth_place        =[[Plymouth]], Devon, England
| death_date        = {{death date and age|df=yes|2003|1|8|1925|2|17}}
| death_place       =[[Brimpton Common]], [[Berkshire]], England
| genre               = Classical, pop, [[orchestral music]]
| occupation        = Conductor
| years_active     =1948–2003
| website            = {{URL|rongoodwin.co.uk}}
}}

'''Ronald Alfred Goodwin''' (17 February 1925{{spaced ndash}}8 January 2003) was an English composer and conductor known for his film music.<ref name="Larkin50">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2002|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-937-0|pages=171/2}}</ref> He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years. His most famous works included ''[[Where Eagles Dare]]'', ''[[Battle of Britain (film)|Battle of Britain]]'', ''[[633 Squadron]]'', [[Margaret Rutherford|Margaret Rutherford's]] [[Miss Marple]] [[Murder, She Said|films]], and ''[[Frenzy]]''.

Born in [[Plymouth]], [[Devon]], England,<ref name="Larkin50"/> Goodwin learned to play the piano and trumpet from the age of five which allowed him to join the school band. When he was nine, the family moved to [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]], London, where he attended [[Capital City Academy|Willesden County School]] and [[Pinner County Grammar School]], in [[Middlesex]]. From there he went on to study the trumpet in London at the [[Guildhall School of Music]].<ref name="Larkin50"/>

Whilst working as a copyist, he formed his own orchestra in his spare time and began arranging and conducting recordings for over fifty performers, which resulted in more than 100 chart successes. He wrote his first feature film score for ''[[Whirlpool (1959 film)|Whirlpool]]'', with screenplay by Lawrence P. Bachmann. After Bachmann became executive producer at [[MGM-British Studios]] in 1959, Goodwin composed and conducted the music for most of its productions, as well as working for other film studios.

In the 1980s Goodwin began concentrating on live orchestral performances and appeared as guest conductor with many [[symphony orchestra]]s at home and abroad including the [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]], the [[City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra]], the [[Detroit Symphony Orchestra]] and the [[New Zealand Symphony Orchestra]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
Goodwin was born in [[Plymouth]] to James Goodwin (died 1952), a policeman with the [[Metropolitan Police Service|Metropolitan Police Force]] and Bessie Violet Goodwin née Godsland (died 1966), a clothing machinist and daughter of a labourer. James was originally from London, but had moved to [[Devon]] after being assigned to the Metropolitan Police's [[History of the Ministry of Defence Police#1860: The Metropolitan Police|No. 3 (Devonport Dockyard) Division]], marrying Bessie in her birthplace of [[Devonport, Plymouth|Devonport]] in 1920.<ref name=dnb>Lamb, Andrew, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/88737?docPos=1 ''Goodwin, Ron'', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''], Oxford University Press, online edition, 30 December 2011 {{subscription required}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.met.police.uk/history/records.htm|title=The Metropolitan Police History by the Yard|publisher=Met.police.uk|access-date=27 September 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303203844/http://www.met.police.uk/history/records.htm|archive-date=3 March 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Goodwin learned to play the piano by the age of five and returned to London four years later, where he attended [[Willesden County Grammar School]].<ref name=dnb/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olduffs.org/ou/FamousOldUffs.htm|title=Pinner County Grammar School records and attendance list|publisher=Olduffs.org|access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref> Whilst there, he learnt to play the trumpet and performed regularly in the school band.<ref name=dnb/> Upon the outbreak of [[World War II]], the family moved to [[Harrow, London|Harrow]], [[Middlesex]], and Goodwin attended [[Pinner County Grammar School]].<ref name="powell-pressburger.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.powell-pressburger.org/Obits/Goodwin/Telegraph.html|title=Obituary|publisher=Powell-pressburger.org|access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref> It was here that he formed his own band – ''Ron Goodwin and the Woodchoppers''.<ref name=dnb/> He later studied the trumpet in London at the [[Guildhall School of Music]].<ref name="Larkin50"/>

=== Early career ===
In 1943, after a brief spell as an insurance clerk, Goodwin joined Campbell, Connelly and Company, a music publisher.<ref name=dnb/> His job was a copyist and arranger and went on to work in that role for the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]].<ref name=dnb/> He entered the world of movie music through documentary films, which he said was "a very good training". He worked as a [[ghostwriter]] for Phil Green, [[Stanley Black]], [[Gerald Bright|Geraldo]] and Peter Yorke among others. From 1949, Goodwin conducted for the Polygon company, arranging and conducting recordings of [[Petula Clark]]<ref name="Larkin50"/> and [[Jimmy Young (disc jockey)|Jimmy Young]], including the latter's 1951 UK no 1 hit "Too Young". In the 1950s he joined [[Parlophone]], and worked alongside [[George Martin]]. He accompanied [[Peter Sellers]] on his ''[[Goodness Gracious Me (song)|Goodness Gracious Me]]'' album,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Peter-Sellers-Sophia-Loren-Goodness-Gracious-Me-Im-So-Ashamed/release/1576028|title=Peter Sellers & Sophia Loren – Goodness Gracious Me / I'm So Ashamed|year=1960 |publisher=Discogs.com|access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref> and began to broadcast and make records with his Ron Goodwin Concert Orchestra.

In 1953, Goodwin began arranging and conducting more than 300 recordings for over fifty performers, which resulted in more than 100 chart successes. He simultaneously made his own series of recordings and broadcasts as Ron Goodwin and his Concert Orchestra, and, in addition, began to compose scores for documentary films at [[Merton Park Studios]]. In 1958, Goodwin wrote his first feature film score for ''[[Whirlpool (1959 film)|Whirlpool]]'', with screenplay by Lawrence P. Bachmann.<ref name="Larkin50"/> After Bachmann became executive producer at MGM British Studios in 1959, Goodwin composed and conducted the music for most of its productions, as well as working for other film studios. His singles work included recordings with jazz and [[calypso music|calypso]] singer [[Frank Holder (musician)|Frank Holder]].

===Works===
Goodwin is primarily known for his film music and worked on more than 70 scores during his career. He composed his first feature film, ''[[Man with a Gun (1958 film)|Man with a Gun]]'' in 1958 and was quickly followed by ''The Witness'' and ''Whirlpool'' a year later. Early minor film success followed with several films until 1961 when he composed scores for the first of four [[Miss Marple]] films starring [[Margaret Rutherford]], entitled ''[[Murder, She Said]]'' (1961). He later went on to compose for the remaining three Miss Marple films ''[[Murder at the Gallop]]'' (1963), ''[[Murder Most Foul (film)|Murder Most Foul]]'' (1963) and ''[[Murder Ahoy]]'' (1964). He scored two horror films, ''[[Village of the Damned (1960 film)|Village of the Damned]]'' (1960) and its sequel ''[[Children of the Damned]]'' (1964). His music for war films is particularly well remembered. This includes work on ''[[633 Squadron]]'' (1964), ''[[Operation Crossbow (film)|Operation Crossbow]]'' (1965), ''[[Where Eagles Dare]]'' (1968), ''[[Battle of Britain (film)|Battle of Britain]]'' (1969), for which he (mostly) replaced [[William Walton]], plus ''[[Force Ten from Navarone]]'' (1978).<ref name="Larkin50"/> After requests from the Band of the Royal Air Force, the opening from ''Battle of Britain'', originally titled ''Luftwaffe March'', was retitled ''[[Aces High (music)|Aces High]]'' and is now regularly played by military bands in the UK.

He wrote the scores for ''[[Of Human Bondage (1964 film)|Of Human Bondage]]'' (1964), ''[[Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines]]'' (1965), [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[Frenzy]]'' (1972, replacing [[Henry Mancini]]), two movies featuring [[Morecambe and Wise]], and the [[Norman Wisdom]] film, ''[[The Early Bird]]'' (1965).<ref name="Larkin50"/>

Goodwin's score for the 1966 film [[The Trap (1966 film)|''The Trap'']] is now used by the BBC as the theme to the [[London Marathon]] coverage.<ref name="bbcmusic">{{cite web|title=The Trap - The London Marathon Theme|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/tracks/n2x332|publisher=BBC Music|access-date=22 April 2018}}</ref><ref name="classicfm">{{cite web|title=Ron Goodwin: The Trap|url=http://www.classicfm.com/composers/goodwin/music/the-trap/|publisher=Classic fm|access-date=22 April 2018}}</ref>  A 30-second variation of his 1969 composition for the film ''[[Monte Carlo or Bust]]'' is used as the intro for the [[BBC Radio Four]] panel game ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]''.

Goodwin wrote several Disney film scores during the 1970s, including the one used for ''[[One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing]]'' (1975).<ref name="Larkin50"/>  He also composed the music and lyrics for a series of animated films. These included ''The Selfish Giant'' (1971), ''The Happy Prince'' (1974), and  ''The Little Mermaid'' (also 1974). Goodwin's last film score was for the [[Danish people|Danish]]-made animation film ''[[Valhalla (1986 film)|Valhalla]]'' in 1986.<ref name="Larkin50"/> He composed the [[Yorkshire Television]] start up music used from their launch in July 1968 to the early 1980s, before ITV had breakfast television.

Goodwin wrote the television advertising jingles such as [[Noddy (character)|Noddy]]'s chant, "I like [[Ricicles]]: they're twicicle as nicicles", and the "[[Mr Sheen]] shines umpteen things clean" song, inspired by ''Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/jan/11/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries|title=Obituary: Ron Goodwin|first=Alexander|last=Gleason|date=11 January 2003|website=Theguardian.com|access-date=11 October 2019}}</ref>

===Later career===
By 1987, Goodwin had begun concentrating on live orchestrations which included his "Drake 400 Suite" in 1980 and "Armada Suite" in 1988.<ref name="Ron Goodwin Biography">{{cite web|url=http://www.rongoodwin.co.uk/biog.htm |title=Ron Goodwin Biography |publisher=Rongoodwin.co.uk |access-date=21 April 2011}}</ref> His "New Zealand Suite" in 1983 marked a long association with the [[New Zealand Symphony Orchestra]], Goodwin appeared as guest conductor with many symphony orchestras at home and abroad including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, [[Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra]], [[Hallé Orchestra]], [[Royal Scottish National Orchestra]], [[Ulster Orchestra]], Detroit Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, [[Singapore Symphony Orchestra]], Australian Pops Orchestra, Danish Radio Orchestra and the [[BBC Concert Orchestra]]. Goodwin was guest conductor at the Royal Academy of Music's Festival of British and American Film Music in June 1996.

===Awards===
In 1972, Goodwin recorded ''Somebody Named Ron Goodwin Plays Somebody Named Burt Bacharach'' and recorded internationally, winning gold and platinum discs awarded by EMI. He won a platinum disc from EMI New Zealand to mark two million sales of the album "Going Places". During his career he won three [[Ivor Novello Awards]], including a lifetime achievement award,<ref name="Larkin50"/> and was a Fellow of the City of Leeds College of Music and a [[Freeman of the City of London]].<ref name="Ron Goodwin Biography"/>

Goodwin was nominated for the [[Golden Globe]] award for best original score for the movie ''[[Frenzy]]'' (1972).

==Personal life==
Goodwin was married twice and had a son, Chris, from his first marriage. Ron Shillingford, Goodwin's personal assistant for over twenty years, said of him: "Ron was a musical perfectionist who had a fine rapport with his fellow artists. He was a kind, caring man, with a wonderful sense of humour." Goodwin was enthusiastic about working with young people and was heavily involved with the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra, Worthing Youth Orchestra, [[City of Leeds College of Music]] and the City of Birmingham Schools' Concert Orchestra.

The road in which Goodwin lived with his family in [[Plymouth]] has since been renamed Goodwin Crescent in his memory.<ref>{{cite web|author=<!--lead container name-->North Prospect messageboard |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2009/07/28/north_prospect_messageboard_feature.shtml |title=Devon – Places – North Prospect messageboard |publisher=BBC |date=28 July 2009 |access-date=21 April 2011}}</ref>

===Death===
In December 2002, Goodwin completed his 32nd consecutive year of Christmas concerts in packed venues across the South of England. However, he had suffered from [[asthma]] for many years and the condition had worsened with age. On 7 January 2003, having completed conducting a series of Christmas concerts with the [[Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra]], he returned home and died in his sleep at Blacknest Cottage, [[Brimpton Common]], Hampshire, on 8 January 2003, aged 77.<ref name="powell-pressburger.org"/>

==Selected filmography==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*''[[Man with a Gun (1958 film)|Man with a Gun]]'' (1958)
*''[[I'm All Right Jack]]'' (1959)
*''[[Whirlpool (1959 film)|Whirlpool]]'' (1959)
*''[[The Trials of Oscar Wilde]]'' (1960)
*''[[Village of the Damned (1960 film)|Village of the Damned]]'' (1960)
*''[[Murder She Said]]'' (1961)
*''[[Partners in Crime (1961 film)|Partners in Crime]]'' (1961)
*''[[Man at the Carlton Tower]]'' (1961)
*''[[Johnny Nobody]]'' (1961)
*''[[Invasion Quartet]]'' (1961)
*''[[Village of Daughters]]'' (1961)
*''[[I Thank a Fool]]'' (1962)
*''[[Kill or Cure (1962 film)|Kill or Cure]]'' (1962)
*''[[Postman's Knock (film)|Postman's Knock]]'' (1962)
*''[[The Day of the Triffids (film)|The Day of the Triffids]]'' (1962)
*''[[Lancelot and Guinevere]]'' (1963)
*''[[Follow the Boys (1963 film)|Follow the Boys]]'' (1963)
*''[[Murder at the Gallop]]'' (1963)
*''[[Ladies Who Do]]'' (1963)
*''[[Children of the Damned]]'' (1964)
*''[[Murder Most Foul (film)|Murder Most Foul]]'' (1964)
*''[[Murder Ahoy]]'' (1964)
*''[[Of Human Bondage (1964 film)|Of Human Bondage]]'' (1964)
*''[[633 Squadron]]'' (1964)
*''[[Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines]]'' (1965)
*''[[The Alphabet Murders]]'' (1965)
*''[[The Early Bird]]'' (1965)
*''[[Operation Crossbow (film)|Operation Crossbow]]'' (1965)
*[[The Trap (1966 film)|''The Trap'']] (1966)
*''[[That Riviera Touch]]'' (1966)
*''[[Mister Ten Per Cent]]'' (1968)
*''[[The Magnificent Two]]'' (1967)
*''[[Submarine X-1]]'' (1968)
*''[[Where Eagles Dare]]'' (1968)
*''[[Decline and Fall... of a Birdwatcher]]'' (1968)
*''[[Monte Carlo or Bust]]'' (1969)
*''[[Battle of Britain (film)|Battle of Britain]]'' (1969)
*''[[The Executioner (1970 film)|The Executioner]]'' (1970)
*''[[The Selfish Giant (1972 film)|The Selfish Giant]]'' (1971)
*''[[Frenzy (film)|Frenzy]]'' (1972)
*''[[Gawain and the Green Knight (1973 film)|Gawain and the Green Knight]]'' (1973)
*''[[The Happy Prince (1974 film)|The Happy Prince]]'' (1974)
*''[[Diamonds on Wheels]]'' (1974)
*''[[Deadly Strangers]]'' (1974)
*''[[One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing]]'' (1975)
*''[[Spanish Fly (1975 film)|Spanish Fly]]'' (1975)
*''[[Escape from the Dark]]'' (1976)
*''[[Beauty and the Beast (1976 TV film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' (1976)
*''Born to Run'' (1977)
*''[[Candleshoe]]'' (1977)
*'' [[Force 10 from Navarone (film)|Force 10 from Navarone]]'' (1978)
*''[[Unidentified Flying Oddball|The Spaceman and King Arthur]]'' (1979)
*''[[Clash of Loyalties]]'' (1983)
*''[[Valhalla (1986 film)|Valhalla]]'' (1986)
{{div col end}}

==Sources==
*Ades, David 2001. "Goodwin, Ron". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', second edition, edited by [[Stanley Sadie]] and [[John Tyrrell (professor of music)|John Tyrrell]]. London: Macmillan Publishers. {{ISBN|978-0333608005}}
*Kennedy, Michael (2006), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'', 985 pages, {{ISBN|0-19-861459-4}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.rongoodwin.co.uk/}}
* {{IMDb name|0006109}}
* {{screenonline name | 873759}}
* [http://www.robertfarnonsociety.org.uk/index.php/legends/ron-goodwin Detailed biography at The Robert Farnon Society]
* [https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ron+goodwin&aq=f Ron Goodwin on YouTube]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110116185903/http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/search/song?q=ron%20goodwin Ron Goodwin on Grooveshark Radio]
* [http://www.rongoodwin.co.uk/artists.htm Ron Goodwin Discography]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodwin, Ron}}
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English conductors (music)]]
[[Category:20th-century English male musicians]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama]]
[[Category:Deaths from asthma]]
[[Category:British easy listening musicians]]
[[Category:English film score composers]]
[[Category:English light music composers]]
[[Category:English male conductors (music)]]
[[Category:English male film score composers]]
[[Category:English music arrangers]]
[[Category:Ivor Novello Award winners]]
[[Category:Musicians from Plymouth, Devon]]
[[Category:People educated at Willesden County Grammar School]]
[[Category:People from Pinner]]
[[Category:People from West Berkshire District]]