Born Oct 28, 1936 • Died Aug 03, 2023

Carl Davis

Last updated on August 5, 2023

Details

Born: Oct 28, 1936
Died: Aug 03, 2023

Interviews of Carl Davis

Carl Davis recalls collaborating with Paul McCartney on the Liverpool Oratorio
Aug 11, 2011 • From The Telegraph

“Ethel & Ernest” animated film premiered in London
Oct 15, 2016

Carl Davis, CBE (28 October 1936 – 3 August 2023) was an American-born conductor and composer who lived in the United Kingdom from 1961.

He composed music for more than 100 television programmes, created new scores for the concert performance of silent movies, and wrote many ballet and concert works that were performed worldwide. Davis’s publisher was Faber Music. […]

In 1991, Davis and Paul McCartney collaborated on Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio, recorded to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. Loosely based on McCartney’s own life, the eight-movement work was composed by Davis and McCartney and conducted by Davis.

I was very sad to hear that my friend Carl Davis had passed away. Carl and I wrote the ‘Liverpool Oratorio’ together. It was my first full-length classical venture and I really enjoyed working with him to make it happen. I would show up at his house and we would start writing. I would suggest an idea and he would write it down on the manuscript paper which made it easy for him to play the idea back to me and we progressed like that. He was a very skilful and fun man to be with. His enthusiasm was extremely infectious and we had a great time during the period that we worked together.

When we came to perform the piece at Liverpool Cathedral it was very exciting for me who had once failed an audition for the choir at the cathedral to be back there with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and tremendous soloists Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Willard White, Sally Burgess, Jerry Hadley, and a large choir for a very special evening.

I enjoyed my time with Carl very much and send my love and sympathies to his lovely wife, Jean, and their daughters Hannah and Jessie.

Love, Paul
Paul McCartney – From Paul McCartney on Twitter, August 5, 2023

From Paul McCartney on Twitter: Paul with Carl Davis writing ‘Liverpool Oratorio’. Photo by Linda McCartney #ThrowbackThursday #TBT

From Paul McCartney on Twitter, August 5, 2023

From Paul McCartney on Facebook, September 4, 2014 – Today in 1992 Paul’s ‘Liverpool Oratorio’ was performed at the Church of St John in Helsinki. This week’s #ThrowbackThursday is a photo of Paul at the 1991 opening night of the ‘Liverpool Oratorio’ with collaborator Carl Davies. The premiere took place in Liverpool Cathedral. Also featured in the photo are performers (from left-to-right) Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Jerry Hadley, Sally Burgess and Willard White. Photo by David Modell.

Songs written or co-written by Carl Davis

Recording sessions Carl Davis participated in

Recording strings for "In The Blink Of An Eye", "Walking In The Park With Eloise"
May 2016 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Ethel & Ernest (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Albums, EPs & singles which Carl Davis contributed to

Talk more talk, chat more chat

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