Terry was born in Littlehampton in 1943. He started his career as a freelance drummer and percussionist.

After 3 years in the band of the Coldstream Guards and studying at Kneller Hall, he went on to the Guildhall School of Music to study percussion and was the orchestra’s principal timpanist. During this time he started working with the BBC Symphony and Concert Orchestras under the baton of Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Colin Davis and Norman del Mar. He freelanced with most of the London Orchestras, with Covent Garden and Sadlers Wells Opera and Ballet companies and was acting principal with the Scottish National Orchestra. Later he returned to the Guildhall to study contemporary music composition and conducting.

In between his studies he did several seasons at the London Palladium and played in many West End Shows, such as West Side Story both as a drummer and as a percussionist.

He became an arranger for various pop groups and artists in the 60s including Donnie Elbert, the American R & B artist, whose hit song in England and the USA was “Where did our love go” arranged by Terry. Donnie Elbert sang Terry’s song “Reaching for a Dream” which was released in the USA and also released as an instrumental by the New York tenor saxophone player, Lonnie Youngblood.

Terry has composed music for Film/TV and Radio. He was signed as a writer for Dick James Music where he composed the incidental music for the pop musical film “Three for All” featuring the group Showaddywaddy. Later he created and composed music for a series of children’s music shows at the Purcell Room called “Pied Piper Musical Stories” which ran regularly for several years. This led to a 10 year run of a new children’s show called “T-BAG” for Thames Television for which Terry composed the music for all the songs and is now released on DVD. Other work for children includes conducting and composing for “Dance for Everyone” at their South Bank concerts.

Radio work includes several plays for Radio 4, including a Saturday Night Theatre play by H.E.Bates “Crown of Wild Myrtle” for Watermill Productions.

Terry’s serious music includes a concerto for Marimba and Orchestra written for Evelyn Glennie, the piano version of which was performed at the Purcell Room with Daniella Ganeva as the marimba soloist and several pieces for flute and piano. He wrote the score for a film called “Instrument of War” about bagpipes in wartime (out on DVD & CD), after which he adapted a part of the score for bagpipes and orchestra or bagpipes & piano, published by Bandleader and dedicated to Evelyn Glennie. The work is called “Encore for Evelyn”. He wrote a symphonic tone poem “The Knights Templars” for Wind Band, written for a gala concert at Kneller Hall, with added organ and fanfare trumpets. Specially commissioned for the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall. “This major work evocatively paints a picture of the enormous struggles of the Knights Templars during the Crusades”. Both works are published by Bandleader Publications. He has also composed a song cycle telling the story of the sealing of the Magna Carta, performed in 2000 and he is hoping for another outing for the work in 1215.

He was also, for a period, conductor of a wind band made up of session musicians and ex guards musicians.

Terry’s latest works include a musical set in the early 1930s on board the ship The Berengaria.called “Hollywood Afloat”, and a suite for alto saxophone & piano “A Day in New York City”, published by Warwick Music and dedicated to Hannah. Marcinowicz & John Reid. Warwick Music are also publishing a short piece for alto and piano called “Cool”. Recently he completed a concerto for alto saxophone & orchestra, also dedicated to Hannah.