John Addison (1920-1998) was an English composer best remembered for his work in film and television, though his musical roots lay in the classical and theatrical traditions. Educated at Wellington College and the Royal College of Music, he belonged to the generation whose careers were shaped by the Second World War and by the post-war expansion of British screen music.

Addison’s reputation was secured by a succession of sharply characterised scores, including A Taste of Honey, Sleuth and Tom Jones, the last of which won him an Academy Award. His later television work, including the theme for Murder, She Wrote, brought his style to an even wider public.

His music combines wit, polish and an instinctive feeling for period colour. Addison could write with elegant eighteenth-century pastiche, dry modern humour or affectionate lyricism, always serving drama with economy and precision.

Though primarily remembered as a screen composer, Addison belongs to the broader British tradition of composer-craftsmen who moved naturally between concert hall, theatre and studio. His best work has the clean outline and memorable profile of music written by someone who knew exactly where the spotlight was.