Derek Hilton

Derek Redvers Hilton (3 February 1927 – 11 July 2005) was an English musician and composer who worked for most of his professional career as musical director at Granada Television. He is mostly remembered for his television themes and is credited as writing a total of 241. The son of Alfred Redvers Hilton, a keen amateur operatic singer, and Emily, a Shropshire girl in service as a maid, Derek began piano lessons at six-years old. Showbusiness had fired his imagination after visiting the music hall at Bury Hippodrome, Conscripted at 18, he joined the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and persuaded his officers at Berwick-on-Tweed that he was more useful playing the piano in the Mess than out on the parade ground. Next came postings to Italy, Austria, Germany and France with "Stars in Battledress" alongside Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan.

Granada Television credits

A Kind of Loving All Our Yesterdays

Nominations

Lost Empires Best Original Television Music. Lost Empires Ivor Novello nomination for Best Theme

Miscellaneous work

In 1969 he created the theme to radio's long-standing Waggoners' Walk, heard daily on Radio 2. Other credits are incidental music for Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Morse, and Brideshead Revisited. To the general viewer, Hilton was perhaps best known for re-recording and re-arranging the Coronation Street theme in 1972 and accompanying Rita Fairclough (Barbara Knox) at the piano when she sang on the show. He was also a regular at the keyboard at The Wheeltapper's and Shunter's Social Club where he was the MD overseeing 'the turns.' A passionate Bury FC fan, in 1972 Hilton wrote Bury's anthem "Aye, aye, Up the Shakers" sung by The Bury Tones, which was for many years a rousing anthem for Shakers fans.

Personal life

Hilton died on 11 July 2005, leaving a partner - Olivia Swann - and three daughters from a marriage.