Humphrey Searle

Humphrey Searle

Composer. Born 26 August 1915 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK. Died 12 May 1982.

ComposerEnglish
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Title on Fi1m
Born
26 August 1915, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Died
12 May 1982

Biography

Humphrey Searle (26 August 1915 – 12 May 1982) was an English composer. Born in Oxford, he studied classics there before training at the Royal College of Music with John Ireland and, on a scholarship, with Anton Webern in Vienna. He worked as a BBC producer from 1946 to 1948 and later taught composition at the Royal College of Music.

Searle was a pioneer of serial music in Britain and wrote extensively on Franz Liszt, devising a widely used catalogue of his works. His film scores include The Abominable Snowman (1957), The Haunting (1963) and incidental music for the Doctor Who serial The Myth Makers (1965). He also composed operas, five symphonies and several ballets.

Films and series

Beyond what we have reviewed, Humphrey Searle is known for The Haunting (1963) and The Abominable Snowman (1957).