He studied history at the University of Cambridge from 1954 to 1957.

He joined the BBC as an assistant film editor in 1961. With the opening of BBC Two in 1964 he began to direct programmes principally about music.

In the early years of BBC2 there was regular coverage of chamber music and Gavin learnt his craft with many studio-based productions. His experience in the cutting room led inevitably to the making of film documentaries.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrie_Gavin]