His special orchestrations of shows for amateur companies remain in demand world wide. He also gained considerable fame in the brass band world, where his works are renowned as test pieces. His output numbered over 700 items. He is best known in his adopted country Australia as the composer of the signature tune to the long-running radio serial Blue Hills. Ronald Hanmer was born in Reigate, Surrey and studied at Blackheath Conservatory. Between 1935 and 1948 he was a theatre organist and dance band arranger. His arrangements of musicals include Calamity Jane, Blossom Time, The Merry Widow, Viva Mexico!, Die Fledermaus, The Chocolate Soldier and La Perichole. His original works included pieces such as Bouquet de Paris, Capstan and Windlass, The Heather and the Thistle, Heritage of England, The Holly and the Mistletoe, The Oak and the Rose and Memories of Hungary, and original genre pieces in orchestral or piano versions such as On a Windy Day, Limelight Lady, Dot and Carry One, Mosquito, City Desk, and Fashion Parade. His works for wind ensembles included clarinet quartets and trios, flute trios, Cuckoo Quartet for two flutes and two clarinets, Two Contrasts for oboe and piano, trumpet trios, Suite for French horn and piano, Three Sketches for trumpet and piano, Suite for Seven (two flutes, oboe, three clarinets and bassoon), and a Serenade for Seven. For brass band, Hanmer wrote pieces such as Latin Americana, Brass Spectacular, March With a Beat, Waltz with a Beat, Mexican Fiesta and Over Hill Over Dale. For smaller brass ensembles his work includes Praeludium and Allegro for trombone, Cavatina and Allegro for E flat horn, Arioso and Caprice for horn, Flight of Fancy, for cornet and euphonium, the fantasy Alice in Wonderland, The Four Corners of the World, Down Under, Episodes for Brass, Prelude and Rondo and Seven Up for septet, Prelude, Romance and Finale for brass quartet and the cornet quartet Foursome Fantasy. In Britain he is remembered for his Changing Moods, which was used as the theme for the radio serial Adventures of P.C. 49. He emigrated to Australia in 1975, and discovered to his surprise that his short composition Pastorale introduced the famous long-running radio serial Blue Hills. He later re-worked the piece into a longer orchestral work named Blue Hills Rhapsody, a recording of which was made with the composer conducting the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Hanmer did a great deal of arranging and conducting with the St Lucia Orchestra in Brisbane. He died in Brisbane on 23 May 1994. |
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