Hayden Wood

b. 25 March 1882, Slaithwaite, Yorkshire, England, d. 11 March 1959, London, England. Wood's ‘Roses Of Picardy' (lyrics by Fred E. Weatherly, who collaborated with Eric Coates and many others) has ensured his place in twentieth-century popular music, although he also wrote other well-remembered melodies, such as ‘The Horse Guards - Whitehall', used by BBC radio since the 40s to introduce Down Your Way. Many of his songs (as well as ‘Picardy' he composed ‘A Brown Bird Singing' and ‘Love's Garden Of Roses') were written for his wife, the soprano Dorothy Court, and their success...