Composers and Authors

Hubert Bath [1883–1945]

Hubert Bath was born in Barnstable, Devon in 1883 and died at Harefield, Middlesex in 1945, very shortly before VE Day was declared. After the early musical experience of singing in the local choir (his father was the choirmaster), at the age of 17 he went on to study piano, organ and composition at the Royal Academy of Music.

He wrote music mainly in the lighter fields, including works for the stage, pieces for brass band and some film scores. In the latter genre he has a small claim to fame in that he penned some of the music to what is usually believed to be the first British talkie film: Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail from 1929. Bath’s most well-known work is probably his Cornish Rhapsody, which featured in the 1944 film Love Story (starring Margaret Lockwood and Stewart Granger). Also still regularly played is his march Out of the Blue, which has been used continuously as the theme music for BBC Radio’s Sports Report programme since its inception in 1948.

Thanks to John Mitchell for writing this biography.

		Composer	Work	Duration	Published	Price
		Hubert Bath arr. John Mitchell	Out of the Blue for piano duet	4¼ mins	26th April 2022	£9.50
		Forces: Piano duet