He held the post Master of the King's Music from 1942 until 1952.
His complete film score for "Oliver Twist" was given its first digital
stereo recording in 2003, and has been released by Chandos.
He was awarded Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 1937 King's Honours List and was awarded K.C.V.O. (Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order) in the 1953 Queen's Honours List for his services to
music.
Studied at the Royal Academy of Music. His musical style is considered to be a blend of romanticism and impressionism, infused with elements from Irish and Norwegian literature. He also wrote poetry and prose under the pseudonym of Dermot O'Byrne.