Sidney Sager
Encyclopedia
Sidney Sager was an English composer
, conductor
and trombonist
, best known for his music for television and radio.
's East End, he joined the British Army
at the age of 14 as a band boy, and as a result of his natural ability was sponsored by the Army to study at the Royal College of Music
. He is the younger brother of Terry Burns (born Mark Sager) the medical inventor and picture restorer. There is also a second brother Edward Tunnicliff (born Edward Sager) that now resides in North Norfolk.
His musical career was interrupted by the Second World War, during which he fought with the British Expeditionary Force
in France
and was evacuated from Dunkirk. Following a brief spell in England he was transferred to North Africa, where he served from 1941 to 1945.
He left the British Army in 1945 and returned to civilian life as a musician, playing brass for some time for the Royal Opera
at Covent Garden
. During the 1950s he studied composition and conducting in Geneva
, and shortly after his return to the UK moved to Bristol
, where he conducted the BBC
West of England Light Orchestra and founded the Paragon, the City of Bristol's first symphony orchestra, which subsequently reformed as Bristol Sinfonia.
He has perhaps become best known for his music for television and radio. He was involved for many years with the BBC wildlife unit at Bristol and also wrote the music for many programmes for HTV West.
One of the most well-remembered programmes he scored was The Best of Friends, starring John Gielgud
, Wendy Hiller
, and Patrick McGoohan
as Sydney Cockerell
, Laurentia McLachlan
, and George Bernard Shaw
respectively. This work was scored for string quintet modeled after Schubert.
He also composed orchestral, band and choral works for festivals, often with children's themes (much like his television scores).
by Second Sight Films has perhaps more than any other created new interest in the work of this underrated composer. The combination of a cappella
vocalizations fixated on a single, repeated Icelandic word ("Hadave"), along with its dissonant wordless counterpoint
, makes this score unique among children's programming. The vocals were provided by the Ambrosian Singers
, featuring Lynda Richardson on the solo soprano line. The vocals were supplemented by electric guitar, bass guitar and percussion.
The main theme of Children of the Stones is written on the acoustic scale
, ambiguously fluctuating between a tonality of C
and D major
. A signature two-chord harmonic progression, Em9 to G/C, is heard throughout the seven-part series at key dramatic points. A secondary theme is treated in canon and is diegetic
music, representing a hymn sung by the spellbound villagers in the story. This theme is later echoed in the guitar and bass when the main child protagonist, Matt, uses his latent psychometric abilities. The secondary theme also concludes the series in a light jazz arrangement, establishing a lighter tone before the final twist is revealed.
The musical texture was the suggestion of producer Peter Graham Scott
, who, while driving to Avebury
to begin filming, had heard music by Krzysztof Penderecki
on the radio.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and trombonist
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, best known for his music for television and radio.
Overview
Born into a Jewish family in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's East End, he joined the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
at the age of 14 as a band boy, and as a result of his natural ability was sponsored by the Army to study at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
. He is the younger brother of Terry Burns (born Mark Sager) the medical inventor and picture restorer. There is also a second brother Edward Tunnicliff (born Edward Sager) that now resides in North Norfolk.
His musical career was interrupted by the Second World War, during which he fought with the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and was evacuated from Dunkirk. Following a brief spell in England he was transferred to North Africa, where he served from 1941 to 1945.
He left the British Army in 1945 and returned to civilian life as a musician, playing brass for some time for the Royal Opera
Royal Opera, London
The Royal Opera is an opera company based in central London, resident at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Along with the English National Opera, it is one of the two principal opera companies in London. Founded in 1946 as the Covent Garden Opera Company, it was known by that title until 1968...
at Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
. During the 1950s he studied composition and conducting in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, and shortly after his return to the UK moved to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, where he conducted 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...
West of England Light Orchestra and founded the Paragon, the City of Bristol's first symphony orchestra, which subsequently reformed as Bristol Sinfonia.
He has perhaps become best known for his music for television and radio. He was involved for many years with the BBC wildlife unit at Bristol and also wrote the music for many programmes for HTV West.
TVography
- Succubus (1986) TV series
- The Sin Doctor (1983) radio series
- Into the LabyrinthInto the Labyrinth (TV series)Into the Labyrinth is a British children's television series produced by HTV for the ITV network between 1980 and 1982. Three series, each consisting of seven 25-minute episodes, were produced and directed by Peter Graham Scott...
(1981) TV series - The Clifton House Mystery (1978) TV series
- Children of the StonesChildren of the StonesChildren of the Stones is a television drama for children produced by HTV in 1976 and broadcast on the United Kingdom's ITV network in January and February 1977. A one-off serial, the story was depicted over seven episodes and produced by Peter Graham Scott, with Patrick Dromgoole as executive...
(1977) TV series - "King of the Castle" (1977) (TV)
- Play for Today (3 episodes, 1972-1974)
- "Three for the Fancy" (1974) TV episode
- "Shakespeare or Bust" (1973) TV episode
- "The Fishing Party" (1972) TV episode
- Expedition ins Unbekannte (1958) TV series
One of the most well-remembered programmes he scored was The Best of Friends, starring John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
, Wendy Hiller
Wendy Hiller
Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller DBE was an Academy Award-winning English film and stage actress, who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly sixty years. The writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation Rating the Movie Stars, described her as "a no-nonsense actress who literally took...
, and Patrick McGoohan
Patrick McGoohan
Patrick Joseph McGoohan was an American-born actor, raised in Ireland and England, with an extensive stage and film career, most notably in the 1960s television series Danger Man , and The Prisoner, which he co-created...
as Sydney Cockerell
Sydney Cockerell
Sir Sydney Carlyle Cockerell was an English museum curator and collector.-Life:Sydney Cockerell made his way initially as clerk in the family coal business, George J. Cockerell & Co, until he met John Ruskin. According to John Ruskin by Tim Hilton , around 1887 Cockerell sent Ruskin some sea...
, Laurentia McLachlan
Laurentia McLachlan
Dame Laurentia McLachlan, OSB was born in 1866 in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 1884 she joined the Benedictine Abbey at Stanbrook Abbey. In 1931 she was elected Abbess of Stanbrook...
, and George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
respectively. This work was scored for string quintet modeled after Schubert.
He also composed orchestral, band and choral works for festivals, often with children's themes (much like his television scores).
Children of the Stones
The 25th anniversary release of Children of the Stones on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Second Sight Films has perhaps more than any other created new interest in the work of this underrated composer. The combination of a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
vocalizations fixated on a single, repeated Icelandic word ("Hadave"), along with its dissonant wordless counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
, makes this score unique among children's programming. The vocals were provided by the Ambrosian Singers
Ambrosian Singers
The Ambrosian Singers are one of the best-known London choral groups, particularly appreciated for its great variety of recorded repertory.They were founded after World War II in England...
, featuring Lynda Richardson on the solo soprano line. The vocals were supplemented by electric guitar, bass guitar and percussion.
The main theme of Children of the Stones is written on the acoustic scale
Acoustic scale
In music, the acoustic scale, overtone scale, Lydian dominant scale, or Lydian 7 scale, is a seven-note synthetic scale which, starting on C, contains the notes: C, D, E, F, G, A and B. This differs from the major scale in having a raised fourth and lowered seventh scale degree. It is the fourth...
, ambiguously fluctuating between a tonality of C
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
and D major
D major
D major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....
. A signature two-chord harmonic progression, Em9 to G/C, is heard throughout the seven-part series at key dramatic points. A secondary theme is treated in canon and is diegetic
Diegesis
Diegesis is a style of representation in fiction and is:# the world in which the situations and events narrated occur; and# telling, recounting, as opposed to showing, enacting.In diegesis the narrator tells the story...
music, representing a hymn sung by the spellbound villagers in the story. This theme is later echoed in the guitar and bass when the main child protagonist, Matt, uses his latent psychometric abilities. The secondary theme also concludes the series in a light jazz arrangement, establishing a lighter tone before the final twist is revealed.
The musical texture was the suggestion of producer Peter Graham Scott
Peter Graham Scott
Peter Graham Scott was an English film producer, film director, film editor and screenwriter. One of the producers and directors who shaped British television drama in its formative years, Scott brought a background in film editing and directing to his work that helped to move the small screen out...
, who, while driving to Avebury
Avebury
Avebury is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles which is located around the village of Avebury in Wiltshire, south west England. Unique amongst megalithic monuments, Avebury contains the largest stone circle in Europe, and is one of the best known prehistoric sites in Britain...
to begin filming, had heard music by Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki , born November 23, 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish composer and conductor. His 1960 avant-garde Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima for string orchestra brought him to international attention, and this success was followed by acclaim for his choral St. Luke Passion. Both these...
on the radio.