Эдвард Уэлч: Английский композитор, дирижёр и автор песен.

English songwriter, composer, conductor and arranger

Edward William Welch (born 22 October 1947) is an English songwriter, composer, conductor and arranger.

Ed Welch had a classical music upbringing. He attended Christ Church Cathedral School from 1957–1961, where he was Head Chorister at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, and then a first music scholar at Ardingly College in Sussex. He gained a scholarship to Trinity College of Music London, studying composition with Arnold Cooke. Upon graduating in 1965, he joined United Artists Music where he learned the various branches of the music business. He wrote arrangements, composed B sides, and plugged the UA catalogue at the BBC.

In 1971, Welch recorded an album, Clowns, including songs he had co written with Tom Paxton and session musicians such as Mike de Albuquerque and Cozy Powell. In 1972, he acted as producer on a version of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" by Sylvie McNeill on a UK 45 on United Artists UA UP35415 released in time for the first UK Stage Musical of Jesus Christ Superstar. In 1973, he wrote the title song to Spike Milligan's film Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall, which marked the start of a 25 year collaboration with Milligan. Welch made his television debut in 1972, on The Old Grey Whistle Test. In 1976, he composed the score for Milligan's adaptation of Paul Gallico's The Snow Goose. Narrated by Milligan and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra with Welch conducting, reached number 20 on the Irish charts in 1973. Welch co wrote the 1995 Icelandic entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, "Núna", (with Björgvin Halldórsson).

His film work included the scores to British sex comedies such as the Confessions series and Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse (1978). Also in 1978, he composed the score for the remake of The Thirty Nine Steps, and numerous local programmes, including Gus Honeybun in 1987. Welch also composed and conducted music for Television South (TVS), from 1987 until the channel disappeared on 31 December 1992. His credits at TVS included conducting a live two and a half hour New Year's Eve show, with 56 musical items, some of which he had also arranged. In 1982, Welch composed the score for the play Private Dick, by Richard Maher and Roger Michell. He also composed the score to the Cannon and Ball comedy film The Boys in Blue. which ran from 1983 to 2001; the tune soon became one of the most recognisable television themes of all time. Among his work for children, Welch composed the score for Andrew Bailey's Aesop in Fableland (Arista Records, 1979), which was narrated by Arthur Lowe and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. He adapted fairy tales and wrote the scripts for a 1982 LP with Spike Milligan, He is credited for the music in the 2001 cartoon series Binka. He wrote songs for the new format of Thomas & Friends from 2004 to 2008.

With Roger Messer, Welch ran South Western Studios in Torquay, a company which produced professional demonstration tapes for aspiring songwriters. In 2004, he composed a piece of music for Liberal Democrat candidate, Mike Treleaven.