Herbert Leonard Stevens (28 November 1910 – 13 May 1989) better known as Len Stevens, was a British composer, specializing in light music but producing works in many other categories. Among the best-known pieces he composed were ''News Scoop'' (used from 1958 until 1971 as the original theme tune to ''

Grandstand A grandstand is a normally permanent structure for seating spectators, typically at sports stadiums and including both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium i ...

'' on

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

television) and ''Easy Street'', which appeared on the Chappell Recorded Music label. Stevens learned his trade in the pre-war British dance bands, and was employed as an orchestrator and theatre musician, while contributing original compositions to several recorded music libraries (including Chappell, Francis, Day and Hunter, Josef Weinberger and KPM). The orchestral piece ''Avalanche'' (1948) is a musical interpretation of an avalanche from its dramatic beginning through a frantic centre piece to its quiet aftermath. Other titles by Stevens include ''Caribbean Caprice'', ''Clear Night'', ''High Cloud'', ''Holiday on Ice'', ''La Madrilena'', ''Lido Fashion Parade'', ''Madame in Mayfair'', ''Mountain Rally'' and ''Stampede''. His music was often performed by

Sidney Torch Sidney Torch MBE (born Sidney Torchinsky; 5 June 1908 – 16 July 1990) was a British pianist, cinema organist, conductor, orchestral arranger and a composer of light music. Early life Torch was born of Russian Jewish origin to a Ukrai ...

and his Orchestra.

Personal life and death

Stevens was born in Wandsworth, London, England on 28 November 1910. He married Doris Mansfield in 1933. He died in Surrey, England on 13 May 1989, aged 78.https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/app_ew_death_quoted.asp?APPLICATION_ID=5T6E7381A7I282E9236PSI44GHX0F7EUC3H&IDistrict=SURREY+SOUTH+WESTERN&ISurname=STEVENS&IForename=HERBERT%20LEONARD&IAge=78&IQuarter=2&IDNo=7613&IVol=17&IPage=1283&IEnt=144&IMonth=05&IRUI=5T6E7381A7I6E92S75448I2UF31LB7BMB5XEF

External links

* *''Easy Street'' introduces the short educational fil
''The Daily Round: The Story of Milk Production and Distribution''
(1954), British Film Institute
''News Reel''
KPM Music

References

1989 deaths British composers Year of birth missing {{UK-composer-stub