Hello one and all
Turning the pages of the newspaper on Tuesday, I was stunned to read that our old friend and one time manager, George Fenton, had died suddenly the previous day. He was just 76 and starting work on two film scores.
The memory is hazy how we met but I believe George and his associate Mike Hudson had heard of the band and came to see us at a gig in London with a view to managing Hunter Muskett. This would have been around 1972.
George was the quieter of the two and more focused on the music than the business side of things but they secured us a recording contract, negotiated a Mercedes van for gigs and persuaded Ralph McTell's management team that we should accompany him on a UK wide tour. Over the time we were with them, George would come to gigs and give advice on stage presentation based on his own experience in the theatre while we would occasionally meet him in their London "office' which was more like a student's flat after a night out on the town.
When we parted company in 1974, George continued to work as an arranger and musical director in theatre alongside minor acting roles. His big break came a few years later when he was invited to write the score for Richard Attenborough's groundbreaking film Ghandi. From there on he wrote music for film, television and the theatre prompting one reviewer to say that "you may not know the name George Fenton but you will certainly know his music."
I reconnected him with many years ago when a photo of him appeared in one of Alan Bennett's diaries. The publisher put us in touch and although always on the go composing, travelling and conducting George always made time to call. Sometimes he would invite me to sit with him in the studio while editing the music to feature films like The Crucible in 1996 and more recently while recording incidental music to David Attenborough's Blue Planet series. When time allowed, he would come and see the band play and even orchestrated one of our songs: Next To Me - a copy of the score is below.
Such a modest, gifted and unassuming human being whose luxury preference when he appeared on Desert Island Discs was a tin of condensed milk.
So this year we lost two Georges from the Hunter Muskett family: Chris George and now George Fenton.
Sad times.
In the meantime, all the very best for the remainder of the year and thanks again for continuing to take an interest in my dear old songs - it really is appreciated.
Take care,
Terry
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