Battle of Britain composer dies

Ron Goodwin received three Ivor Novello awards

Film composer Ron Goodwin, who wrote the themes for Where Eagles Dare and 633 Squadron, has died at the age of 77.

He passed away at his home in Brimpton Common, near Reading, Berkshire, his agent said.

Goodwin was best known for composing the scores to a string of 1960s war films, among them Battle of Britain and Operation Crossbow.

Goodwin wrote the score to several war films

But they formed only a handful of the 60 scores he composed in a career that spanned five decades.

His first film was Whirlpool in 1958 and he went on to write the music for such popular movies as Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, Monte Carlo or Bust, Force 10 From Navarone and Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy.

Goodwin, who was born in Plymouth, also worked with stars like Petula Clark and Jimmy Young early in their careers.

He arranged and conducted Young's hit record Too Young, and formed Ron Goodwin and his Concert Orchestra, which was signed by Beatles producer George Martin.

Goodwin is famed for his work on Battle of Britain

By 1975 he received a gold disc to mark one million album sales.

Goodwin also received three Ivor Novello Awards during his lifetime, the most recent of which was in 1994 for Lifetime Achievement.

In the past 30 years he toured the world as a conductor performing a mixture of classic works and popular hits, from James Bond through to Abba.

Goodwin also dedicated much of his time to working with young musicians, including the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra and the City of Birmingham School's Concert Orchestra.

Last month, he presented his annual series of Christmas shows with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Goodwin is survived by his second wife, Heather, and one son, Christopher.