Russell Churney

Russell Churney (10 September 1964 – 27 February 2007) was an English composer, pianist, arranger and musical director, and a member of the comedy/cabaret group, Fascinating Aïda.

Together with Jungr, he devised and performed in shows including Bare, Killing Me Softly, Songs From The Heart, Chanson: The Space in Between, Barb, Bob and Brel, and the musical The Ballad of Norah's Ark.

Other musical shows on which Churney worked as musical director and pianist include Portraits in Song (with Elizabeth Mansfield), The Lonely Fate of the Femme Fatale (with Sandra Lawrence), Back With You (with Dillie Keane), Cabaret Whores (with Howard Samuels), Straker Sings Brel (with Peter Straker), and Big Night Out at the Little Palace Theatre (with Sandi Toksvig and Dillie Keane).

He composed original scores for films including One Minute Past Midnight (directed by Celia Galan Julve, 2004) and the Channel 4 documentaries Return Trip (dir Carol Morley) and The Alcohol Years (directed by Carol Morley, 2000).

A memorial concert, The Lovely Russell, was held in his honour on 29 June 2008, with performances by his friends or associates Barb Jungr, Sandi Toksvig, Fascinating Aïda, Julian Clary and many others.