Leighton Lucas (5 January 1903 – 1 November 1982) was an English composer and conductor. Born into a musical family (his father, Clarence Lucas, was also a noted composer), he began his career as a dancer for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes (1918–21). He became a ballet conductor at 19, as well as a self-taught composer of religious works and film music.He is particularly noted for his film compositions, including the scores for Target for Tonight (1941), Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950), Ice-Cold in Alex (1958) and the incidental music for The Dam Busters (based on the title march by Eric Coates).Benjamin Britten wrote that Lucas's Partita (1934) for piano and chamber orchestra was "very interesting - especially quite lovely Sarabande." Lucas's 'Sinfonia Brevis' (1936?) for horn and 11 instruments may be one of the earliest British scores to incorporate Balinese gamelan effects (it was heard by Benjamin Britten who went on to use such effects in his music from Paul Bunyan).
Former ballet dancer (with Diaghilev's Ballet Russe, 1918-1921), turned composer and conductor by the age of nineteen. He composed overtures, cantatas, ballets and film music and later became a professor at the Royal Academy of Music. After wartime service in the RAF, he formed his own orchestra to give concerts on the BBC.
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Son of Canadian composer/conductor Clarence Lucas (1866-1947).
Composer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Now Barabbas
1949
My Hands Are Clay
1948
uncredited
West Riding
1946
Short
Target for Tonight
1941
Documentary uncredited
Head Over Heels in Love
1937
uncredited
The Cardinal
1936
Hyde Park Corner
1935
uncredited
Alexandra
1934
uncredited
Britannia of Billingsgate
1933
uncredited
The Ghoul
1933
uncredited
Rome Express
1932
uncredited
Night and Day
1932
uncredited
Serious Charge
1959
Son of Robin Hood
1958
Ice Cold in Alex
1958
Battle Hell
1957
The Dam Busters
1955
music score
Young and Willing
1954
This Is York
1953
Documentary short
Talk of a Million
1951
Portrait of Clare
1950
Stage Fright
1950
music composed by
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
I Like Money
1961
conductor
The Millionairess
1960
conductor
Serious Charge
1959
conductor
Son of Robin Hood
1958
conductor
Ice Cold in Alex
1958
conductor
The Mark of the Hawk
1957
composer: stock music - uncredited
A King in New York
1957
conductor
Battle Hell
1957
music director
Rheingold Theatre
1955
TV Series composer - 4 episodes
This Is York
1953
Documentary short conductor
1066 and All That
1952
TV Movie musical director
The Third Visitor
1951
musical director
Portrait of Clare
1950
music arranger
Under Capricorn
1949
orchestrator - uncredited
My Hands Are Clay
1948
music arranger
Gala Performance
1946
TV Short conductor
Hyde Park Corner
1935
musical director
Man of Aran
1934
Documentary composer: additional music - uncredited
$300,000
