Muir Mathieson was a protégé of Sir Malcolm Sargent who became head of of the music department for Alexander Korda at Denham Film Studios age the age of 24. For thirty year Mathieson commissioned film scores from leading British composers and gave many young composers their first chance of writing for films. Only in desperation was he moved to compose scores himself.

Mathieson also hired the best orchestras to record the music for hundred of British movies, both feature and documentary, often working through three session of three hours a day.

Also over a period of some thirty years Mathieson gave concerts in halls and cinemas across Britain designed to introduce school children to orchestral music. Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, Schubert Symphony No 5, and Mozart's Eine kliene Nachtmusik were his staple fare. Generations of children experienced the thrill of a live orchestra for the first time before the baton of Muir Mathieson.

His work in education also extended to directing two Crown Film Unit productions made for schools, Instruments of the Orchestra with music composed by Benjamin Britten and Steps of the Ballet with music by Arthur Benjamin. These films are available on Beulah DVD Classical Music in the Forties

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