William Lovelady

William Lovelady is a celebrated English guitarist, composer and teacher whose music bridges classical, popular and film worlds. He first came to prominence in the late 1970s as Bill Lovelady, with two Top‑Ten reggae hits, before his unmistakable voice found its home in contemporary classical music, especially for the guitar. He has written extensively for leading guitarists including Slava and Leonard Grigoryan, Xuefei Yang, Craig Ogden and Amanda Cook, and his works are now a staple of the modern guitar repertoire. Lovelady has composed soundtracks for David Attenborough documentaries and was nominated for an Emmy for the National Geographic film Flying Devils. His scores include Disney’s An African Love Story and the independent feature Here Lies, which won Best European Independent Film in 2015. His choral music is widely performed. The Cantata on Psalm 104, commissioned for the 75th birthday of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, became a Royal Family favourite; an arrangement for four voices was chosen for Prince Philip’s funeral at Windsor and later performed at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, for the Coronation of King Charles III. His Mass, first heard at Westminster Cathedral, is now sung internationally. His Concerto for Guitar, Violin and String Orchestra, premiered by Orchestra of the Swan with Craig Ogden and Tamsin Waley‑Cohen, the haunting Isolation Songs, and his Guitar Concerto, Serenade for Strings, commissioned by the English Chamber Orchestra.