Fiachra Trench facts for kids

Fiachra Terence Wilbrah Trench (born on September 7, 1941, in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland) is a well-known Irish musician and composer. He comes from Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland.

Fiachra Trench's Early Life and Education

Fiachra Trench first studied Chemistry at Trinity College, Dublin, which is a famous university in Ireland. Later, in 1963, he continued his studies in the United States at the University of Georgia and then at the University of Cincinnati. After his studies, he moved to London, England, where he lived and worked for many years, from 1969 to 1991.

Music Career and Famous Collaborations

Fiachra Trench is a very talented musician and composer. He has worked with many famous artists throughout his career.

Early Music Projects

In 1972, he helped produce and played keyboards on an album called Waterfall for the band If. He also played on Solid Gold Cadillac's first album. The next year, in 1973, he played piano on another If album called Double Diamond.

Writing and Arranging Music

During the 1980s, Fiachra Trench worked with his songwriting partner, Ian Levine. Together, they wrote and produced popular dance songs for artists like Miquel Brown, Barbara Pennington, and Evelyn Thomas.

He also helped write the theme song for a TV show called K-9 and Company, which was a spin-off from the popular Doctor Who series.

Fiachra Trench is especially known for his amazing string arrangements. This means he writes the music for violins, cellos, and other string instruments that you hear in songs. He created the string arrangements for two very famous songs: "I Don't Like Mondays" by the Boomtown Rats and "Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues. His string arrangements on the Van Morrison song, Have I Told You Lately, are considered some of his most beautiful works.

Working with Top Artists

Fiachra Trench has collaborated with many other legendary musicians. These include Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Art Garfunkel, Sinéad O'Connor, the Corrs, Joan Armatrading, and Paul McCartney. He even taught Paul McCartney's late wife, Linda, how to play the piano. He also worked with Phil Lynott, creating the orchestral arrangements for Lynott's solo hit "Old Town." In 1996, he conducted the French entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, a song called "Diwanit bugale".

Music for Films

Besides working on songs, Fiachra Trench has also composed and scored music for several movies. This means he wrote the background music that helps tell the story in films. Some of the movies he has worked on include Pearl Harbor, The Boxer, The Tailor of Panama, and The Ring.

In 2006, he reworked a piece of music called "Lux Aeterna" by Clint Mansell. This new version was used in a big advertisement for AIB for the Ryder Cup golf tournament.