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Tony Lowry Posted by Brian Atwell on July 28, 2008, 4:59 am Tony Lowry was a pianist, arranger and composer who co-wrote with Douglas Brownsmith under the pseudonym John Belton. Does anyone know Tony's date and place of birth and if he is deceased, his date and place of death. I would also be interested in any other biographical information relating to his musical education and work experience. Thanks

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by Len Mullenger on July 28, 2008, 8:42 am, in reply to "Tony Lowry" 217.155.206.169 On MusicWeb we have this from Philip Scowcroft Collins and Spurgin may be ranked among the "production music" composers of the 1950s and 1960s, which, like light music composers generally, have been making something of a comeback on CD recently. We have mentioned a few in previous Garlands and here are a few more names: BRUCE CAMPBELL, exemplified by Skippy, adopted as the music for "seeing sport", Green Hills and Cloudland, Dudley Glass, whose Will o'the Wisp was used as interlude music in "In Town Tonight"; GEORGE CRUIKSHANK (e.g. Banbury Cake); CHARLES KENBURY (eg Channel Ferry); and DONALD THORNE, composer of Rippling Waters, adopted for a BBC TV programme. Thorne was also concerned jointly with TONY LOWRY in a suite Lights o'London, whose individual movements are entitled: Dawn, Kew Gardens; Noon, Oxford Street and Hyde Park; Dusk, Limehouse; and Midnight, Piccadilly. They were doubtless inspired by the earlier light suites on London penned by Eric Coates and Haydn Wood. Lowry appears to have collaborated, actively or passively, with several other British light music "greats". The Russian march, Samovar, was a joint production with Clive Richardson, who died late in 1998. The piece for piano and orchestra, Running Commentary, was arranged by Arthur Sandford. Seascape was adopted as the title music for the BBC programme "The Windjammers" in an arrangement by Robert Farnon; Landscape, by contract, also The Last of the Dandies, was arranged by Ronald Hanmer. Other Lowry titles include Hippodrome Memories and Willow Pattern. He did a fair bit of arranging on his own account and Hippodrome Memories certainly sounds like a potpourri.

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by Mike Thomson on November 27, 2008, 1:33 pm, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" I only just happened on this thread about the pianist and prolific composer/arranger Tony Lowry. I have never been able to find out very much about him myself, but I do know that for a time he was Musical Director (perhaps latterly Advisor) to Cecil Bernstein's Granada Theatres. He was certainly there when the late Bryan Rodwell was a member of the circuit's superb team of organists during the first half of the 1950s. According to Bryan, Lowry's musical background included some contact (presumably as a student?) with Bela Bartok - certainly he was a high-powered figure. As regards Lowry's collaboration with Donald Thorne, Thorne was also a Granada man. Pianist in the Staritas' Piccadilly Revels Band and the Jack Hylton Orchestra in the late 1920s, he turned his hand to the theatre organs and became a very well known broadcaster. Many organists wrote their own music (there was a market for light music plus you got broadcasting fees on it!) and Thorne was no exception. Tony Lowry's piece 'Doreen' is well known in the theatre organ world as signature tune for Doreen Chadwick, another Granada organist. Rather sketchy, I'm afraid, but it might help to fill an informational gap!

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by A.R.Gleason on January 13, 2009, 9:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" I first met Clive Richardson about 1990/1 and I clearly recall his saying ruefully how few people had turned up for his former piano partner's funeral. A bit vague I'm afraid, but I'll check to see if 'The Stage' or any of the music press commented on his passing, around this time Alex G.

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by stephen austin on September 2, 2009, 1:07 am, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" 81.77.60.7 I always seem to come in at the back end of these sort of discussions, but I must say what a mine of information it has been. In preparing to give a forthcoming series of organ concerts (theatre organ and electronic organ)I was looking for an opening march - different from what everyone else plays. "Down The Mall" - John Belton - has been a favourite of mine for some while, but in rifling through piles of music, I found his "Time Marches On" and "Garrison Theatre". Searching on the internet for some background to the composer, I came across this forum, and discovered that John Belton is Tony Lowry! The mention of Bryan Rodwell brought back memories of my first job in late '60's when I went to Hammond Organ UK as assistant to George Blackmore, Musical Director. Bryan Rodwell was one of the Hammond staff organists and many's the time when I stood by his side watching and listening intently - I wish a bit more had rubbed off on me. Thanks for this fascinating information Stephen Austin Poulton-le-Fylde Lancs

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by Kevin Parott on March 24, 2011, 5:37 pm, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" In the late 1950s, I used to enjoy Granada TV's 'start up' music here in the north west. It's only in recent years that I learned it was the 'Granada March' by Tony Lowry, and by reading here about his connection with the Bernstein brothers Granada theatres, it now makes sense, as they founded Granada TV. I searched for years for a recording, and recently someone has uploaded it to You Tube to accompany a replica of the original Granada TV test card, as the piece used to do.

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by kate short on March 31, 2011, 4:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" having spent many days trying to find out more about Tony Lowry came across your message board. My interest is that Tony was my grandmothers cousin and I am doing my family history. I know his mother was Emily Zugg and his father Alexander Ludwig Lowry and they married in Guildford 1882. I can find no birth records for Tony or Anthony Lowry so presumably this was not his given name. I have a photograph of Tony Lowry and Clive Richardson as young men probably late 30s early 40s. Any update would be of great interst.

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by Kevin Parrott on March 31, 2011, 6:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" Hello Kate, I too had difficulty tracking down info about Tony Lowry, and unfortunately I can add nothing that isn't here. However, there is a some reference to him on the 'Robert Farnon Society' website. Regards, Kevin

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by kate on April 1, 2011, 9:32 am, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" Hi Kevin Thanks for your response, have seen 'Robert Farnon Society' article, will just have to keep digging. Regards Kate

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by Don on December 22, 2011, 4:09 pm, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" IMDB lists the composer for 'Up the Creek' as Tony Lowry OR Tony Fones. A search for Tony Fones gives Anthony Fenton Fones, b. London 1919, d. London 1997. Perhaps this is the real Tony Lowry? I haven't been able to find much more info. Regards, Don T.

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by Kate on December 24, 2011, 12:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" 86.169.90.108 That's looking very promising an avenue to investigate the dates are certainly right, thanks for that. Have a good Christmas

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by Nick Barnard on December 26, 2011, 4:37 pm, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" 2.24.218.176 I can't add any info to the Tony Lowry search but I did meet Tony Fones - he was a superb staff arranger for Chappells but very little of his was published - a Mary Poppins medley and an excellent Moon River excepted from memory. He died a few years ago but I might be able to find an (old) address) for his wife.

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by John S. Batts on June 1, 2012, 4:47 am, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" On the possibility of Tony Lowry as Tony Fones, I wonder if this relates to an ABC cinema organist in the 1950s called "Tony Fenton" (then a young fellow). Subsequently I met "Tony Fenton" when he was working at The Granada Cinema, Tooting, but as I recollect, "Fenton" was a stage name for someone whose family name was Smithers -- a track of his was used on *The Organist Entertains* under the Robin Richmond presentership. All of which suggests to me a qualification to the notion that Tony Fones [Anthony Fenton Fones] was also Tony Lowry. Cheers, John.

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by Patricia (Fones) Chowins on February 24, 2013, 11:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" Tony Fones was my father and he worked with Tony Lowry on many occasions.He spent a lifetime in the music business. Anthony Fenton Fones was my eldest brother. He was an arranger and orchestrator at the BBC. After mandatoty retirement from the BBC, Tony worked for them and others as a freelance until his death.

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by Jackie Richardson on May 8, 2012, 11:50 am, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" Hi Kate I have just this minute started to look into my family tree. Tony Lowry was my great grandfather. I just found a little info that mum and I had started to pull together about 10 years ago. Unfortunately Tony's son my Grandfather Jack Lowry died a few years ago and my mother (maiden name) Janet Pauline Lowry died 6 years ago very young 62. So a little bit of a brick wall. Although one of my grandands sisters children is still alive and may no more. I might try and contact them.

Re: Tony Lowry Posted by Kate Short on May 8, 2012, 12:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Tony Lowry" Hi Jackie Thats fantastic news I have photo's and also Tony's family tree, thats why have been looking into him for so long. Maybe easier to contact me via my email direct, although I'm not sure how to go about it through this link. Regards Kate

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