Jim Parker: Midsomer Murders composer dies aged 88

Bafta-winning composer Jim Parker, who was down the euphony for TV bid specified arsenic Midsomer Murders and House of Cards, has died aged 88.

In a vocation spanning 60 years, helium collaborated with comic Victoria Wood and writer Sir John Betjeman.

Parker was besides known for penning the scores for bid specified arsenic Foyle's War, Soldier Soldier and Mapp and Lucia.

His girl Claire said Parker "wore his endowment lightly" and "had a quiescent passionateness and large consciousness of humour".

As good arsenic composing for TV dramas, helium besides ventured into the satellite of fashionable factual TV by penning euphony for Changing Rooms and Ground Force.

The composer released 4 euphony albums with Sir John, an English writer and writer, and besides worked with stone set Procol Harum.

He wrote the euphony for the archetypal BBC bid House of Cards, which was aboriginal adapted for the surface again by Netflix, arsenic good arsenic the BBC One play The House of Elliott.

Parker won his archetypal Bafta for House of Cards sequel To Play the King, aboriginal winning 3 much for The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders, The History of Tom Jones and A Rather English Marriage.

Claire Parker said: "His ambition was archetypal and foremost for audiences to bask his music.

"He was some well-respected and well-liked wrong the euphony and tv industry, penning truthful galore memorable taxable tunes, and ever giving 100% commitment, which led to collaborations often lasting galore years.

"He volition beryllium missed by friends, household and colleagues."

Parker was calved successful Hartlepool, County Durham, successful 1934 and his euphony vocation began arsenic an oboist successful a British Army set based successful post-war westbound Germany.

In 1959 helium was awarded an honorary grade aft winning a metallic medal astatine the Guildhall School of Music and Drama successful London.

He aboriginal joined the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra earlier becoming a subordinate of the Barrow Poets, a poesy and euphony radical which recorded six albums and worked with poets including Stevie Smith, known for penning the poem Not Waving But Drowning.

Parker wrote 3 musicals, the astir palmy of which was Follow The Star, a retelling of however Christmas began.

He worked connected aboriginal TV bid of the precocious comedian Victoria Wood, who hired him successful 1979 to put the songs for a surface adaptation of her debut play Talent.

Parker went connected put Wood's songs for Nearly a Happy Ending (1980) and Happy Since I Met You (1982) - and was formed arsenic the bandleader of her debut sketch amusement Wood and Walters