Blue Planet and Gandhi composer George Fenton dies aged 76

Composer George Fenton, best known for his work on the BBC’s natural‑history documentaries and a wide range of film scores, has died at the age of 76. Fenton first contributed music to the BBC’s *Trials of Life* in 1990 before going on to compose the soundtracks for what became known as David Attenborough’s Earth Trilogy: *The Blue Planet*, *Planet Earth* and *Frozen Planet*. His music was noted for matching the striking images of ocean depths and polar ice caps, using the full power of the orchestra to convey wonder, awe, hostility and suspense. Following the success of the series, Fenton created *The Blue Planet in Concert*, a live show performed by leading orchestras in venues worldwide. Among his other notable scores are *The Long Walk Home*, *You’ve Got Mail*, *Sweet Home Alabama*, *The Lady In The Van* and *Mrs Henderson Presents*. He also supplied music for more films by British director Ken Loach than any other composer, including *Ladybird*, *Ladybird*; *I, Daniel Blake* and *The Wind That Shakes the Barley*, which received the Palme d’Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Fenton founded the Association of Professional Composers, which later merged with The Ivors Academy. He is one of only a few musicians to have received the Academy’s fellowship, joining Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Elton John, Kate Bush, Bruce Springsteen and George Michael. He served as a visiting professor at the Royal College of Music and the University of Nottingham and was appointed a CBE for services to music in 2023. Fenton often remarked that his career in music had been accidental, yet nothing gave him greater joy than hearing his work come to life. During an appearance on *Desert Island Discs*, he selected his own composition “Reunion” from the soundtrack to *Accidental Hero*, saying it reminded him of watching pianist John Lowe play the melody in the studio. He told Sue Lawley: “If I was sitting connected a godforsaken land and reasoning astir what a bully clip I'd had penning music, which I have, I privation conscionable 1 happening to punctual maine astir the champion portion - which is the information that you constitute thing and past you're truthful amazed and thrilled astatine the mode it's played,” he told Sue Lawley. He added: “For a composer, that's the biggest footwear you tin get.”