John Scott is the name used by Patrick John O'Hara Scott, an English film composer, conductor and musician born in Bishopston, Bristol, in 1930. He is also credited as Johnny Scott and Patrick John Scott.

Film and television composition

Scott composes for film and television from the 1960s onwards, with work on more than 100 productions. His scores include Antony and Cleopatra (1972), England Made Me (1973), North Dallas Forty (1979), The Final Countdown (1980), Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) and The Shooting Party (1985). He also writes music for television, including the BBC current affairs themes Nationwide and Midweek, incidental music for the ITV series Rosemary and Thyme, and documentaries by Jacques Cousteau.

Early career and performance work

Scott receives his first music lessons from his father, who is a musician in the Bristol Police Band. At 14, he joins the British Army as a Boy Musician in the Royal Artillery Band at Woolwich so that he can continue studying clarinet, harp and saxophone. He later tours with leading British bands and works for EMI as an arranger and conductor. During this period he also plays flute on the Beatles recording “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” with producer George Martin. As a performer, he plays with The Julian Bream Consort, John Dankworth, Cleo Laine, Yehudi Menuhin, Nelson Riddle and Ravi Shankar, and he also records artists including Tom Jones, Cilla Black and The Hollies.

Johnny Scott ensembles and jazz work

Credited as Johnny Scott, he plays flute and leads jazz groups during the 1960s, including a quintet, quartet and trio. The verified membership list also includes the Johnny Scott Orchestra, the Johnny Scott Quartet, the Johnny Scott Octet and the Johnny Scott Quintet.

Classical music and conducting

Scott remains active as a classical composer and conductor. His concert music includes a symphony, a ballet, four string quartets and a guitar concerto. He conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Munich Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Budapest Opera Orchestra, the Lubliana Radio Orchestra and the Prague Philharmonic. From 2006 to 2008, he serves as artistic director of the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra.

Notable pieces and recognition

Among Scott’s best-known music is the stock library piece “Gathering Crowds”, whose opening bars are used briefly by ABC for nightly news in 1976 and which later becomes familiar in the United States as the closing theme for This Week in Baseball. On 16 October 2013, he receives a BASCA Gold Badge Award for his contribution to music.