Film Music Reporter

Carl Davis has passed away at age 86. The composer has scored numerous films and TV shows over a six decade-spanning career. Among his best known scoring credits are Karel Reisz’s 1981 feature The French Lieutenant’s Woman (for which he received BAFTA’s Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music), BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice mini-series starring Colin Firth & Jennifer Ehle, Michael Caton-Jones’ 1989 feature Scandal, the 1973 documentary series World at War and John Irvin’s 1984 drama Champions and 1994 comedy Widow’s Peak. He was BAFTA TV Award-nominated for titles such as 1982’s Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years, 1984’s The Far Pavilions, 1986’s Silas Marner, an episode of Screen Two, BBC’s 2007 series Cranford starring Judi Dench and received a special award from the organization for his contribution to film, television and theatre in 2003. He also received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his theme for 1973’s Covington Cross and his music for the 1973 TV movie The Snow Goose. The composer also wrote or reconstructed scores for over 50 silent films, including several Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton classics, as well as numerous concert works. Davis is survived his wife, two daughters and three grandchildren.