Short Biography

Iain James Veitch is a composer, record producer and recording studio owner. He's also one half of the TV and film music writing partnership Heneghan and Lawson - responsible for the music of many well-known animation series.   

Iain was born in Liverpool in 1955 but grew up in Wrexham, North Wales. He is of Welsh and Scottish ancestry, and on his Welsh side related to the composer Grace Williams. As a student at University College Cardiff his post-graduate composition tutor was Alun Hoddinott.   

Although media music forms a large part of his output, Ian also regularly composes concert, jazz and rock music.

The first compositions still in the catalogue date back to his student days - his Op. 1 is a flute sonata, or, more specifically, Academic Sonata 1 (for flute and piano) - a piece that is still regularly performed. His orchestral work has been performed by the Hallé, BBC NOW, and the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera. In 2003 Chandos released Walking the Wild Rhondda a CD of orchestral works by Ian and his colleague Ben Heneghan. More recently Signum Classic released a CD of music performed by Saxophonist Lara James including Ian’s three movement title track The Glittering Plain composed for Alto saxophone, piano, jazz bass, jazz drum kit, and string quartet. 

Choral music is also an important part of his output. Cantemus Chamber Choir Wales have recorded a number of his short choral pieces on a CD entitled The Contingent World which also features music by the other half of Heneghan and Lawson - Ben Heneghan. Tracks from this album have been broadcast on BBC R3 and Classic FM - Requiescat was a specially commended runner-up in the Classic FM composers' competition and received a number of plays as a consequence.

Earlier this year Ian’s setting of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 104 ‘Three Year’ won first prize in The Fourth Choir’s inaugural composing competition and was first performed on the 400th anniversary in Middle Temple hall - the only still standing hall in which it is known Shakespeare performed. The has also subsequently performed by the Ulster Youth Choir.  

There are also many songs in the catalogue, including a major song cycle The Tree Calendar scored for mezzo, piano and string quartet. 

Ian also co-leads, with Ben Heneghan, The Boo-Hooray Theory - an eclectic 12-piece rock band formed to record and perform some of their non-classical songs.  

However, it must be mentioned that his most well-known composition has to be Fireman Sam - the theme song for a favourite children's animation series still going strong after twenty-five years.