Hughs, Spike (Patrick Cairns)

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Hughs, Spike (Patrick Cairns) (b London, 1908; d Brighton, 1987). Eng. writer, composer, and broadcaster, son of Herbert Hughes. Wrote incid. mus. for Cambridge Univ. prods. and for plays by Congreve and Yeats. For a time led jazz band, making many recordings 1930–3. Mus. critic Daily Herald 1933–6. Jazz critic of The Times 1957–67. Comps. incl. light music, film scores, etc. His Cinderella (1938) was first opera specially comp. for TV. Brilliant broadcaster. Author of books on operas of Mozart, Puccini, and Verdi, history of Glyndebourne Opera (1965, rev. 1981), and 2 vols. of entertaining autobiography.

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