Biography
Born Isaac Cozerbreit on 8 May 1893 in London, England, and later known as Charles Williams, the musician died on 7 September 1978 in Findon Valley, Worthing, England. He ranked among Britain’s most productive creators of light orchestral pieces while supplying scores for a vast array of motion pictures, frequently without on-screen credit. Early in his professional life he served as principal violinist under Sir Landon Ronald, Sir Thomas Beecham and Sir Edward Elgar. Following the pattern of many peers, he provided live accompaniment for silent pictures and later took the podium at the New Gallery Cinema on Regent Street.
His involvement with Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail, the first British production to employ synchronized sound throughout, opened the door to further engagements as composer or conductor on titles that included The Thirty Nine Steps (1935), Kipps (1941), The Night Has Eyes (1942), The Young Mr Pitt (1942), The Way To The Stars (1945—in which Nicholas Brodszky reportedly contributed only four notes to the principal theme), The Noose (1946), While I Live (1947—the source of his celebrated “Dream Of Olwen”), The Romantic Age (1949), Flesh And Blood (1951—introducing “Throughout The Years”) and the American feature The Apartment (1960), which adopted Williams’s “Jealous Lover,” first heard in The Romantic Age, as its main title and propelled the piece to number 1 on the US charts. In all, he is believed to have contributed to at least 100 films.
When London publisher Chappell launched its recorded music library in 1942, Williams was engaged as both composer and conductor of the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra. The 78-rpm discs, created exclusively for radio, television, newsreel and cinematic purposes, featured numerous selections that later became widely recognized themes, among them “Devil’s Gallop” (signature tune of Dick Barton—Special Agent), “Girls In Grey” (BBC Television Newsreel), “High Adventure” (Friday Night Is Music Night) and “Majestic Fanfare” (Australian Television News). While directing sessions for Chappell he also captured the first recordings of several emerging writers who would later gain prominence, including Robert Farnon, Sidney Torch, Clive Richardson and Peter Yorke.
Recognition for his own writing arrived in the early 1930s with “The Blue Devils,” actually composed in 1929 under the title “The Kensington March,” and continued through the following two decades with such works as “Voice Of London,” “Rhythm On Rails,” “The Falcons,” “Heart O’ London,” “Model Railway,” “The Music Lesson,” “Dream Of Olwen,” “The Old Clockmaker,” “The Starlings,” “A Quiet Stroll,” “Sleepy Marionette” and “Side Walk.” From 1946 onward he led his own Concert Orchestra, as well as the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra, in more than thirty 78-rpm releases of popular light and film repertoire for the Columbia label.
His involvement with Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail, the first British production to employ synchronized sound throughout, opened the door to further engagements as composer or conductor on titles that included The Thirty Nine Steps (1935), Kipps (1941), The Night Has Eyes (1942), The Young Mr Pitt (1942), The Way To The Stars (1945—in which Nicholas Brodszky reportedly contributed only four notes to the principal theme), The Noose (1946), While I Live (1947—the source of his celebrated “Dream Of Olwen”), The Romantic Age (1949), Flesh And Blood (1951—introducing “Throughout The Years”) and the American feature The Apartment (1960), which adopted Williams’s “Jealous Lover,” first heard in The Romantic Age, as its main title and propelled the piece to number 1 on the US charts. In all, he is believed to have contributed to at least 100 films.
When London publisher Chappell launched its recorded music library in 1942, Williams was engaged as both composer and conductor of the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra. The 78-rpm discs, created exclusively for radio, television, newsreel and cinematic purposes, featured numerous selections that later became widely recognized themes, among them “Devil’s Gallop” (signature tune of Dick Barton—Special Agent), “Girls In Grey” (BBC Television Newsreel), “High Adventure” (Friday Night Is Music Night) and “Majestic Fanfare” (Australian Television News). While directing sessions for Chappell he also captured the first recordings of several emerging writers who would later gain prominence, including Robert Farnon, Sidney Torch, Clive Richardson and Peter Yorke.
Recognition for his own writing arrived in the early 1930s with “The Blue Devils,” actually composed in 1929 under the title “The Kensington March,” and continued through the following two decades with such works as “Voice Of London,” “Rhythm On Rails,” “The Falcons,” “Heart O’ London,” “Model Railway,” “The Music Lesson,” “Dream Of Olwen,” “The Old Clockmaker,” “The Starlings,” “A Quiet Stroll,” “Sleepy Marionette” and “Side Walk.” From 1946 onward he led his own Concert Orchestra, as well as the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra, in more than thirty 78-rpm releases of popular light and film repertoire for the Columbia label.
Albums
Back Yard Stuff
2007
A Study of Symmetrics & Rhythms
2006
A World Of Music
2006
If We Try
1998
Charles
1983
Love Is A Very Special Thing
1975
Singles
