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Respected British composer, songwriter and conductor Cyril Ornadel has passed away in his adopted country of Israel.
A musical director turned composer, he was best known for the love songs If I Ruled the World and Portrait of my Love, which became hit for Matt Munro in 1960.
Ornadel was born in London on 2 December 1924, and studied at the Royal College of Music. In the 50s he became conductor of ITV's popular Sunday Night at the London Palladium programme, before turning his hand to musicals.
He started working with touring revues and pantomime and then graduated onto the West End in the early 60s, where he went on to direct a string of major musicals, including Paint Your Wagon and the first London production of My Fair Lady.
Ornadel also composed several musicals of his own, including the 1963 hit Pickwick, starring Harry Secombe.
He wrote his last score Once More, Darling in the mid-70s. It was billed as 'a farce with music', and featured lyrics by Norman Newell.
During his lifetime received no fewer than four Ivor Novello Awards, as well as the Basca Gold Badge of Merit for his contribution to British music.
He started working with touring revues and pantomime and then graduated onto the West End in the early 60s, where he went on to direct a string of major musicals, including Paint Your Wagon and the first London production of My Fair Lady.
Ornadel also composed several musicals of his own, including the 1963 hit Pickwick, starring Harry Secombe.
He wrote his last score Once More, Darling in the mid-70s. It was billed as 'a farce with music', and featured lyrics by Norman Newell.
During his lifetime received no fewer than four Ivor Novello Awards, as well as the Basca Gold Badge of Merit for his contribution to British music.
