Ronald Binge

• Name — Ronald Binge • Born — 15 July 1910 • Birthplace — Derby, Derbyshire, England • Died — 6 September 1979 • Place of death — Ringwood, Hampshire, England • Genre — Light music • Occupation — Composer • Past Member Of — Mantovani

Binge was born in a working-class neighbourhood in Derby, Derbyshire, in the English Midlands. In his childhood, he was a chorister at Saint Andrew's Church (Church of England), London Road, Derby — "the railwaymen's church" — demolished in 1970. Binge was educated at the Derby School of Music, where he studied the organ. Early in his career, he was a cinema organist and later worked in summer orchestras in British seaside resorts (including Blackpool and Great Yarmouth), for which he learned to play the piano accordion. Binge's skill as a cinema organist was put to good use, and he played the organ in Mantovani's first band, the Tipica Orchestra. During the Second World War, he served in the Royal Air Force, during which time he was in high demand for organising in-camp entertainment. After the war, Mantovani offered Binge the job of arranging and composing for his new orchestra. With Mantovani, Binge also orchestrated Noël Coward's musicals Pacific 1860 (1946) and Ace of Clubs (1950). In 1951, his arrangement of "Charmaine" gave him and Mantovani worldwide success and recognition. However, he tired of writing arrangements and turned to composing original works and film scores. Mantovani's orchestra began playing his light orchestral pieces for radio broadcasts. In 1952, Binge devised and conducted his own BBC radio programme, String Song, which featured many of his compositions. He regularly composed for production and library music publishers, and a number of his works were used for radio and television signature tunes.

Binge married Vera Simmons in 1945. During the 1950s, they lived at 18, Smitham Bottom Lane in Purley, Croydon. They had two children. He died in Ringwood, Hampshire, of liver cancer in 1979, aged 69, survived by his wife, son and daughter.