Commissions and Competitions

In the last few weeks I have composed 44 tracks for Episode 1 of a forthcoming audio-drama. An excitingly brisk pace of composition that has been very enjoyable!

I have also worked with an US High School, taking the home recordings of individual students and producing a beautiful ensemble performance.

Earlier this year, I composed two original choral works for competitions - one of which has been cancelled due to the lockdown and the deadline of the other has been extended. I'm also preparing the orchestral score for a short film competition that caught my eye.

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Danny and the Wild Bunch, a film by Robert Rugan.

This film is scored for full orchestra. The full score is available to view here. It was composed for a competition entry and can now be published as it was unsuccessful. Contrary to the general etiquette of these things, I was disappointed not to reach the final. It’s no small task to compose for symphony orchestra and have the score performance ready. I will be interested to hear the 5 finalists’ works, even as I was surprised to hear the original score given to the film on release.

Composition Commissions

After several months of working on projects for other people, it has been a lovely change to write some original music of my own.

My brother’s film company were hired to make a trailer for the local am-dram production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Due to its amateur status, a temp track could be used for their short-term promotion. But the performances, locations, costumes and filming were so good that a responsive score was desirable. Earlier this month I submitted my entry to the Zurich Film Festival Scoring Competition. I am still in the habit of writing for symphony orchestra and so I have written a lavish and racing soundtrack for the trailer. Film to follow!

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Composing for Commissions

In the last few weeks I have had a series of commissions to fulfil, most of which cannot be shared here as musical examples due to permission and rights:

  • 4 and 1/2 minute score for an animation, which shows an old dam being converted to provide hydroelectric power. This was used for a presentation within days of completion and I hear it went extremely well.
  • Three short promo film scores for an existing client. 
  • Six instructional videos to demonstrate bespoke cleaning products, to be used at an internal company event next Wednesday. 
  • A welcome song for a play group age 0-3 years, still in development. 
  • Three minute track in preparation for a montage edit of a live event next week.
  • Stings for the start/end of videos for an existing corporate client.

Scoring is always a challenge because you have to subordinate the musical idea to the needs of the images, without it appearing to be compromise. You can learn how to do it better, but you still have to face unique corners in every film. In some ways, dramatic scoring is much easier than corporate because in drama the composer has licence to impose and make grand gestures. The best corporate scoring is only felt and never heard. It has to be very tight and to the point, without any scope for so-called "artistic" temperament. 

The song has been an enjoyable counterpoint to these scores and a great opportunity to spend an hour or two recording again. It's 15 years since I was handing in my A Level composition coursework, including a multi-tracked musical number I had written for The Little Princess. 

Ghosts of the Odeon

Before Chester's old Odeon is consigned to history to make way for a new building, Chester Film Co-op were commissioned to make use of the building and came up with a daring film featuring a young local actor. He wanders around the ruined cinema and meets the ghosts of all the films that have played there - from Indiana Jones to ET, Star Trek's Wrath of Khan to Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Gremlins and The Wizard of Oz, to name a few! All the music used in this film is recreation, without even reference to score. An audio and visual tribute to some well-loved films. In addition to providing the score, I was also responsible for the female vocalisations and impersonations.