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IN HIS PRIME: Derek Hilton

Corrie music man dies

Ian Wylie
15/ 7/2005

COMPOSER Derek Hilton, who arranged the Coronation Street theme tune and wrote the music for many hit TV shows, has died aged 78.

As Granada's musical director, he wrote the highest number of TV themes in the country - a total of 241 - as well as helping produce the theme tune to the nation's favourite soap, which was composed by Eric Spear.

Derek also appeared in the Street as a pianist, often accompanying former club singer Rita (Barbara Knox) in the Rovers Return.

Born in Whitefield, showbusiness sparked his imagination after a visit to Bury Hippodrome and by the age of 14 he was leading his own band.

His big break came in 1956 when Derek's trio played the music at a press launch for a new Manchester venture called Granada TV.

Soon he was working on a range of shows. He wrote theme tunes and incidental music for programmes including Criss-Cross Quiz, All Our Yesterdays, A Family At War and A Kind of Loving.

His comedy theme credits include The Lovers, The Dustbinmen, The Comedians, The Cuckoo Waltz and Nearest and Dearest. He also became Granada's musical director and was a regular at the keyboard at the Wheeltapper's and Shunter's Social Club.

One of his last projects for Granada was composing and arranging all the Bafta-nominated music for JB Priestley's Lost Empires, starring Sir Laurence Olivier.

He once said: "The hardest thing is to write music that no one notices is there. The best mood music is that which you never notice - it creates an emotional atmosphere."

He died in a Didsbury nursing home.