Grant McLachlan

Grant Mclachlan is a South African composer based in Cape Town. In 1975 he moved to the UK to study music at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was a choral scholar. He holds master’s degrees from King’s College, London, and Bournemouth University. Studies included composition with Jeremy Dale Roberts, and piano with Lise-Martine Jeanneret.

After returning to South Africa in 1994, Grant has specialised in composing for natural history films, and has scored music for more than 120 wildlife and feature film productions. He has composed for many broadcasters, including the BBC, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Animal Planet, Discovery, and many others. In 2007 the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed Ocean Voyagers live to picture for Animal Planet’s 10th anniversary. He has won several awards including Best Music for the Australian film The Jammed.

Chamber music has included a piano quintet, Oesterwal Landscape; Umbhioso Wase Afrika for Harpsichord and African Percussion; from the direction it should depart for violin, clarinet and piano; and Music For The Beginning of Time. He has also written much choral music: the Christmas anthem Come, Colours Rise has become a classic with choirs around the world.