McPeek, Ben

• McPeek, Benjamin Dewey

Benjamin Dewey "Ben" McPeek, composer, conductor, arranger, and pianist, was born in Trail, British Columbia on August 28, 1934. He moved to Toronto in 1953, where he studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto and the University of Toronto with John Beckwith, Talivaldis Kenins, Oskar Morawetz, Godfrey Ridout, and John Weinzweig. He received his certification as an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT) in 1954 and his Bachelor in Music in 1956.

McPeek began his musical career playing piano in various Toronto dance bands and singing on CBC with the Five Playboys. In the 1960s, he started composing and directing musical theatre, including Up Tempo 60, That Hamilton Woman, Suddenly this Summer, Actually this Autumn, and the 1968 Spring Thaw. In 1963, he wrote his first opera The Bargain. His musical Joey, co-written with Helen Porter, was produced at the Charlottetown Festival in 1973.

In 1964, McPeek established himself as a jingle writer for television and radio and formed his own company Ben McPeek Ltd. He went on to write 2000 jingles in the 1960s and 1970s. McPeek also composed scores for films, including The Rowdyman (1972), Only God Knows (1974), and the documentary Catch the Sun (1973). In 1979, he formed the Canadian Film Composers Guild with Harry Freedman.

McPeek was also active with popular music, and founded the label Nimbus 9 Productions in 1966 with Jack Richardson. In 1982, he initiated what would become the Imperial Oil McPeek Pops Library, a collection of Canada pop music arranged for symphony orchestra.

His other compositions include a piano concerto, piano sonatas, other solo piano music, music for bras and woodwind quintet, and various orchestral works.

McPeek passed away in Toronto on January 14, 1981.

Created November 12, 2020.