[1] Torch was born of Russian Jewish origin to a Ukrainian father, Morris Torchinsky, and an Estonian mother, Annie, at 27 Tottenham Court Road in St Pancras, London.

His gift for memory came to his rescue when he entered an examination room and realised that he had left the compulsory music back at his home in Maida Vale.

Maclean had left in 1930 to become Chief Organist of the Trocadero Cinema, Elephant and Castle and was followed at the Regal until 1932 by Reginald Foort.

[2] His signature tune became "I've Got To Sing a Torch Song" (from the film Gold Diggers of 1933), which had his own special lyrics added.

He was enlisted by the publishers Francis, Day & Hunter to conduct the New Century Orchestra in 1947, when their library was established, remaining with them until 1949, when a Musicians' Union ban stopped all work of this kind in Britain.

The piece "On A Spring Note" is considered to be one of Torch's best works: it is still regularly played and recorded by modern cinema organists.

The three movement London Transport Suite, depicting hansom cab, omnibus and steam train, was written for a BBC Light Music Festival commission in 1957.

"The Trapeze Waltz" (1963) became the theme tune for a series of French-themed plays, Maupassant, produced by Granada Television.

A recording of Torch's "Off Beat Moods Part 1" was chosen by Stanley Kubrick as the theme for the fictitious BBC news programme "The World Tonight", seen aboard the spaceship Discovery in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Torch insisted upon smart attire from his musicians: he always had an extra pair of black socks or gloves kept on standby if required.

According to David Ades of the Robert Farnon Society, Torch's music "was also often entertaining to watch as well as hear"; his "London Transport Suite" and "Duel for Drummers" being "ideal examples requiring, as they do, such athletic participation from the percussion section.