- He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1976 for his services to music.
- Married soprano Alison Purves at Kensington in February 1947.
- Gained a reputation for writing good film scores very quickly. Scored The Pickwick Papers (1952) in eleven days.
- Still living at the Hertfordshire cottage purchased by his adoptive father Major Tom Hopkins in 1932. (August 2004)
- He was also known for his books on musical analysis, notably 'Talking About Symphonies', and an autobiography called 'Beating Time'.
- Educated at Berkhamsted and later at the Royal College of Music, where he won two of the college's top awards - the Chappell Gold Medal for piano and the Cobbett Prize for composition.
- Presented the BBC Radio 3 programme 'Talking About Music' for more than 36 years.
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