He was natural within Hucknall in Nottinghamshire, a boy of the doctor, & deliberate music at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 1906, receiving viola lessons from either Lionel Tertis. From either 1910 he played in the Queen's Hall Orchestra under Henry Wood, becoming principal violist in 1912. Per prevent of the 1910s he was concentrating entirely in composition, getting been forced to give higher a viola for medical reasons. He experienced an early profits by owning a overture "The Merrymakers" (1922), but thomas more popular was a London Suite (1933). A go movement of this, "Knightsbridge", was utilized per BBC to introduce their radio programme In Town Tonight.

Coates' music, sustaining its elementary & memorable melodies, proved particularly efficacious for theme music, & a BBC likewise utilized "Calling All Workers" (1940) as a theme for "Music While You Work"; "By the Sleepy Lagoon" (1930) is still wont to introduce a long-running off "Desert Island Discs". He besides wrote a total of pieces which were utilized when television begin-higher music - the "BBC Television March" (BBC Television, daily from either 1946 to the end of 1958 and occasionally from either so until 1960), the "Rediffusion March" aka "Music Everywhere" (Associated-Rediffusion, 1956 to 1957), "Sound and Vision" (ATV in London from 1955 to 1968 and in the Midlands from 1955 to 1971, and a "South Wales and the West Television March" (TWW, 1958 to 1968).

Coates is likewise easily-known for his film score for The Dam Busters (1954); the title March is particularly famed. His songs, a few using lyrics by Arthur Conan Doyle, are less swell remembered.

Coates' autobiography, Suite within 4 Movements, was published within 1953. He died within Chichester having suffered a stroke.

Eric Coates was there are no relation to Albert Coates, the contemporary conductor & composer.