Peter Skellern
Encyclopedia
Peter Skellern is an English
singer-songwriter
and pianist
.
at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
. He later joined pop
groups
called 'Harlem' and 'March Hare'. Skellern played the organ at St Michael's Church, Bolton during his early years.
Skellern's first hit
song was "You're a Lady" in 1972. The record featured the choir Congregation who had recorded the hit "Softly Whispering I Love You" and reached number three in the UK Singles Chart
and number 50 in the United States Billboard Hot 100
. He followed this three years later with "Hold On to Love" which reached number 14 in the UK chart. He also sang the theme song
to the musical Billy Liar
. For three years in the 1970s he worked on BBC Radio 4
's Stop the Week
, writing topical songs. A non charting song 'Too much I'm in love' also received much radio play.
In 1978 Skellern had a minor hit with "Love is the Sweetest Thing" (which featured backing by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band
), winning the Music Trades Association award for best Middle of the Road song. His album Astaire is regarded by many as a minor classic.
In 1981 he wrote, composed and performed in a series of musical playlets for the BBC
called Happy Endings. Two years later Skellern hosted the Private Lives television chat show. He wrote the lyrics for the song "One More Kiss, Dear", from the 1982 film, Blade Runner
.
In 1984, He performed the theme song for the London Weekend Television
programme Me and My Girl
. In the same year, Skellern formed a group called Oasis
with cellist
Julian Lloyd Webber
, and Mary Hopkin
. The group released a self-titled album in 1984 on the Warner Bros. Records
label which earned a silver record
. The group performed live on television, but a planned concert tour was cancelled due to Mary Hopkin becoming ill.
In 1987, Skellern wrote and performed the theme music and song for the Yorkshire Television
series, Flying Lady.
Skellern provided the voice of Carter Brandon in the BBC Radio
adaptations of Peter Tinniswood
's Uncle Mort's North Country. This show was produced
by Pete Atkin
.
Skellern has collaborated with Richard Stilgoe
in cabaret
and in musical comedy with comic songs such as "Joyce the Librarian". Three live albums are available; A Quiet Night Out, By the Wey and Who Plays Wins.
More recently Skellern has been writing choral music, including Waiting for the Word (which was written for the BBC's Songs of Praise
programme of 19 August 2001), Six Simple Carols and The Nativity Cantata written for a Hemel Hempstead
choir, the Aeolian Singers
. The work was first performed by them in 2004 and it has since been recorded.
Skellern's and Richard Stilgoe's little-known album, Who Plays Wins, made an unexpected entry in the midweek top five album charts in February 2011 after an online poll among Crystal Palace fans voted it the best British album of all time.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Career
Skellern attended Derby Grammar School (now Derby High School) and studied pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
. He later joined pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
groups
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
called 'Harlem' and 'March Hare'. Skellern played the organ at St Michael's Church, Bolton during his early years.
Skellern's first hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
song was "You're a Lady" in 1972. The record featured the choir Congregation who had recorded the hit "Softly Whispering I Love You" and reached number three in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and number 50 in the United States Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. He followed this three years later with "Hold On to Love" which reached number 14 in the UK chart. He also sang the theme song
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
to the musical Billy Liar
Billy (musical)
Billy is a musical based on the novel and play Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. The book was written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, the music is by John Barry, and the lyrics are by Don Black.-Production:...
. For three years in the 1970s he worked on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Stop the Week
Stop The Week
Stop the Week was a long running BBC Radio 4 discussion programme chaired by Robert Robinson which ran from 1974–1992-Origins:The BBC Radio's Current Affairs Department decided that it wanted a programme that would act as a bookend to Monday morning's Start the Week with Richard Baker, which had...
, writing topical songs. A non charting song 'Too much I'm in love' also received much radio play.
In 1978 Skellern had a minor hit with "Love is the Sweetest Thing" (which featured backing by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band
Grimethorpe Colliery Band
The Grimethorpe Colliery Band is a brass band, based in Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire, England. It was formed in 1917, as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery, by members of the disbanded Cudworth Colliery Band...
), winning the Music Trades Association award for best Middle of the Road song. His album Astaire is regarded by many as a minor classic.
In 1981 he wrote, composed and performed in a series of musical playlets for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
called Happy Endings. Two years later Skellern hosted the Private Lives television chat show. He wrote the lyrics for the song "One More Kiss, Dear", from the 1982 film, Blade Runner
Blade Runner (soundtracks)
The Blade Runner soundtrack was composed by Vangelis for Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner. It is mostly a dark, melodic combination of classical composition and synthesizers which mirrors the futuristic film noir envisioned by Scott. Several different albums have been made, some including...
.
In 1984, He performed the theme song for the London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
programme Me and My Girl
Me and My Girl (TV series)
Me and My Girl was a 1980s British television situation comedy starring Richard O'Sullivanwhich centred on the challenges faced by a widower raising his adolescent daughter. It was broadcast on ITV between 1984 and 1988.-Plot:...
. In the same year, Skellern formed a group called Oasis
Oasis (1980s group)
Oasis was an English music group which formed in 1984. The group consisted of Peter Skellern, Julian Lloyd Webber, Mitch Dalton, Bill Lovelady and Mary Hopkin....
with cellist
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber is a British solo cellist who has been described as the "doyen of British cellists".-Early life:Julian Lloyd Webber is the second son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and his wife Jean Johnstone . He is the younger brother of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber...
, and Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin , credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti, is a Welsh folk singer best known for her 1968 UK number one single "Those Were The Days". She was one of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles' Apple label....
. The group released a self-titled album in 1984 on the Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
label which earned a silver record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. The group performed live on television, but a planned concert tour was cancelled due to Mary Hopkin becoming ill.
In 1987, Skellern wrote and performed the theme music and song for the Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
series, Flying Lady.
Skellern provided the voice of Carter Brandon in the BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
adaptations of Peter Tinniswood
Peter Tinniswood
Peter Tinniswood was an English radio and TV comedy scriptwriter, and author of a series of popular cricketing novels...
's Uncle Mort's North Country. This show was produced
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
by Pete Atkin
Pete Atkin
Pete Atkin is a British singer-songwriter and radio producer notable for his 1970s musical collaborations with Clive James and for producing the BBC Radio 4 series This Sceptred Isle.-Early life:...
.
Skellern has collaborated with Richard Stilgoe
Richard Stilgoe
Richard Henry Simpson Stilgoe OBE is a British songwriter, lyricist and musician. He is noted for clever wordplay as much as for his music....
in cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
and in musical comedy with comic songs such as "Joyce the Librarian". Three live albums are available; A Quiet Night Out, By the Wey and Who Plays Wins.
More recently Skellern has been writing choral music, including Waiting for the Word (which was written for the BBC's Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
programme of 19 August 2001), Six Simple Carols and The Nativity Cantata written for a Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
choir, the Aeolian Singers
Aeolian Singers
The Aeolian Singers, president Peter Skellern, musical director Stephen Jones, rehearsal pianist Anna Le Hair, was established in 1963. With about 80 members, it is Hemel Hempstead's largest mixed-voice chorus. While based in Hertfordshire, the singers also perform in major London concert halls and...
. The work was first performed by them in 2004 and it has since been recorded.
Skellern's and Richard Stilgoe's little-known album, Who Plays Wins, made an unexpected entry in the midweek top five album charts in February 2011 after an online poll among Crystal Palace fans voted it the best British album of all time.
Albums
- You're a Lady, 1972
- Not Without a Friend, 1974
- Holding My Own, 1974
- Hold On To Love, 1975
- Hard Times, 1975
- Kissing in the Cactus, 1977
- Skellern, 1978 - UK #48
- Astaire, 1979 - UK #23
- Still Magic, 1980
- Happy Endings, 1981
- A String of Pearls, 1982 - UK #67
- Ain't Life Something
- Cheek to Cheek, 1993
- Captain Beaky and His BandCaptain Beaky and His BandCaptain Beaky & His Band is the title of two albums of poetry by Jeremy Lloyd, set to music by Jim Parker and recited by various British celebrities...
(contribution to Vol. II), 1980 - Oasis, 1984
- Who Plays Wins with Richard StilgoeRichard StilgoeRichard Henry Simpson Stilgoe OBE is a British songwriter, lyricist and musician. He is noted for clever wordplay as much as for his music....
, 1985 - Lovelight, 1987
- Stardust Memories (a tribute to The Ink SpotsThe Ink SpotsThe Ink Spots were a popular vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop...
), 1995 - UK #50 - Sentimentally Yours, 1996
- The Very Best of Peter Skellern, 1996
- By The Wey with Richard Stilgoe, 1997
- A Quiet Night Out with Richard Stilgoe, 2000
Singles
- "You're a Lady, 1972 - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#3, US #50 - "Hold On To Love", 1975 - UK #14, US #106/"Too much im in love"
- "Love is the Sweetest Thing", 1978 - UK #60/
Recordings of choral music
- The Nativity Cantata and other Christmas Music performed by the Aeolian SingersAeolian SingersThe Aeolian Singers, president Peter Skellern, musical director Stephen Jones, rehearsal pianist Anna Le Hair, was established in 1963. With about 80 members, it is Hemel Hempstead's largest mixed-voice chorus. While based in Hertfordshire, the singers also perform in major London concert halls and...
, 2005 - "So Said The Angel" on the album A Cotswold Christmas performed by the Abbey School Choir, TewkesburyTewkesburyTewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
- "So Said The Angel" on the CD Noel! (Priory PRCD 768) sung by the Bach Choir of London