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Sam Fonteyn

1925 – 1991

Music library composer

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About Sam Fonteyn

Lived 1925 – 1991 (aged 66). Sam Fonteyn was a British composer and pianist.

Sam Fonteyn (born Samuel Soden; 20 May 1925 – 29 August 1991) was an English composer and pianist, whose most significant output was for the Boosey & Hawkes Music Library, for which he composed and recorded many works.

Most are short character pieces for the piano with colourful titles indicating the images the pieces are meant to conjure. Others are bright orchestral pieces. Fonteyn's work has been heard on television since he recorded for Boosey & Hawkes in the 1970s. A music library recording was used as the theme of the British sitcom Please Sir! in 1968, and "Pop Looks Bach," recorded in 1970, was later used as the theme of the long-running television programme Ski Sunday. He started out by playing jazz at the Black Sheep club in London in the 1950s. and died in Islington, London.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Also known as
Samuel Soden

People in Sam Fonteyn's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Sam Fonteyn's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Sam Fonteyn?

Music library composer

When was Sam Fonteyn born?

Sam Fonteyn was born on 20 May 1925.

When did Sam Fonteyn die?

Sam Fonteyn died on 29 August 1991.

What was Sam Fonteyn's occupation?

Sam Fonteyn was a composer and pianist.

What nationality was Sam Fonteyn?

Sam Fonteyn was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Sam Fonteyn

· Wikidata: Q7407478

· DBpedia: Sam Fonteyn

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sam Fonteyn. https://biography.guide/sam-fonteyn/

MLA: "Sam Fonteyn." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sam-fonteyn/.

Chicago: "Sam Fonteyn." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sam-fonteyn/.

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