Biography
Carl Davis (1936–2023) was an American-born British composer and conductor. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he studied composition with Paul Nordoff and Hugo Kauder, and later with Per Nørgård in Copenhagen. He moved to London in 1961.
Davis composed scores for many British television series and films. His credits include the theme music for The World at War (1973) and the score for the BBC series Pride and Prejudice (1995). Film work includes The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), for which he received a BAFTA award, and Scandal (1989). He created new scores for more than fifty silent films, including Abel Gance's Napoleon, helping to revive interest in live orchestral accompaniment for the medium.
Davis collaborated with Paul McCartney on the Liverpool Oratorio (1991). He was appointed CBE in 2005.
