Biography
British composer Colin Towns is recognized as "one of the country's most prolific score writers for big and small screen" (Financial Times). His work spans television drama, feature films, animation, documentaries, adverts, idents, and theatre. Additionally, he composes and arranges for numerous big bands across Europe, recording, touring, and releasing his compositions.
His accolades include nominations for the BAFTA Best TV Music Award for The Crow Road; three Ivor Novello Awards for TV scores (Goodbye Mr Chips, Clarissa, and Blackheath Poisonings); the Royal TV Society Craft & Design Award for The Sculptress; and the Canadian Gemini Award for best score for the animation Fungus the Bogeyman.
Theatre credits feature collaborations with the Donmar Warehouse, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Hampstead Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Theatre Royal Bath, Art Sphere Theatre Tokyo, Royal Shakespeare Company Stratford-upon-Avon, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and Druid Theatre Galway.
He founded The Colin Towns Mask Orchestra, releasing seven albums and owning Provocateur Records. The Mask Orchestra has also recorded and toured Towns' ballet score The Orpheus Suite, commissioned by choreographer David Bintley of the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
In 2011, he launched the six-piece band Blue Touch Paper and collaborates with some of Europe’s most innovative big bands, including NDR Bigband, HR Bigband, and The Bohuslän Bigband.
His British television work includes the beloved comedy Doc Martin; the final series of Foyle's War; the three-part Mobile directed by Stuart Orme; the psychological thriller Half Broken Things directed by Tim Fywell; the feature-length drama Ghostboat directed by Stuart Orme; the black comedy The Man Who Lost His Head directed by Terry Johnson; the drama A Good Murder directed by Graham Theakston; the thriller series Cold Blood directed by Stuart Orme; the comedy Not Only But Always directed by Terry Johnson; and the drama Jack Taylor - The Guards directed by Stuart Orme.
His work for German and French television and film includes Tatort; Flemming; Der Usedom-Krimi; Mon Ange (My Angel) starring Vanessa Paradis and directed by Serge Frydman; Rivieres Pourpres 2 (Crimson Rivers 2) starring Jean Reno and directed by Olivier Dahan; Double Zero directed by Gerard Pires; and Albert Schweitzer starring Jeroen Krabbe and directed by Gavin Millar.
Animation credits include Fungus the Bogeyman for Gala Films; The Tale of Jack Frost for Zoo Films; Toot and Puddle for National Geographic; and Angelina Ballerina for Hit Entertainment.
Previous television, feature film, and animation projects include Man Dancin (feature film); Red Mercury (feature film); Goodbye Mr. Chips; Am Kreuzweg (German television drama); Sons and Lovers (television drama); Flemming (German television series); Maybe Baby (feature film); Essex Boys (feature film); Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (TV feature length); The Crow Road; Our Friends in the North (television series); The Sculptress (television drama); Cadfael (television series); World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (animation); Full Circle (feature film); The Puppet Masters (feature film); and Vampire’s Kiss (feature film).
