Barrington Somers Pheloung (10 May 1954 – 1 August 2019)[1] was an Australian composer. He lived in England.[2] He is one of the most prolific television and movie composers in the UK, known for his wide range of compositional genres.[source?]
Best known for the theme and incidental music to the Inspector Morse, for which he was nominated for 'Best Original Television Music' at the British Academy Television Awards in 1991,[3] the sequel Lewis,[4] and the prequel Endeavour. He has also composed for dance companies, such as the London Contemporary Dance Theatre, and for events, including the opening night of the Millennium Dome.[source?]. Pheloung also wrote the theme music for the BBC television series Dalziel & Pascoe.
His film work, includes Hillary and Jackie, based on the life of the cellist Jacqueline du Pré, for which he was nominated for the 'Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music' at the 52nd British Academy Film Awards.[5] Other works include A Previous Engagement, The Little Fugitive, Shopgirl, Touching Wild Horses, Twin Dragons, Shopping and The Mangler.[4] He also made the music to Revolution Software's adventure games In Cold Blood and the first two Broken Swords.[4]
Pheloung's other work includes music for the Sydney Opera House's Twentieth Birthday Celebrations and he contributed to the music for the movie, Truly, Madly, Deeply in which he also appeared.[4] He composed the incidental music for the first series of Boon.[4]
In 2009 he composed the music for 1983, the concluding episode of the acclaimed Channel 4 drama series Red Riding.[4][6]
He died in August 2019 at the age of 65 of respiratory failure.[7]