LOVEJOY

It was absolutely essential, as I somewhat pretentiously explained to the producers, that the Lovejoy theme needed to incorporate the following elements: the world of antiques (harpsichord); rural Suffolk (strings and horns); and perhaps most importantly, the lovable-rogue personality of the title character (a contemporary feel). Everyone was thrilled with the end result, including me, not least because the Lovejoy theme, unbeknownst to anyone but myself, was a piece of music I’d written for a series about a schoolteacher called “The Drummonds” which had been rejected. The old composer’s adage holds true: never waste a good tune. Denis King