Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Moonshot Recording

I've just returned from conducting my orchestrations of Richard Blair-Oliphant's score for the ITV/History Channel programme Moonshot which will be on the telly next year. The sessions went really well, recording at the beautiful British Grove studios in Chiswick (built by one Mark Knopfler) and once again it was a privilege to work with musicians of the very highest calibre, drawn from the best of London's orchestras. 
In particular, working with David Pyatt, a legendary horn player with the LSO was a real treat: as well as being a player of wonderful technique and ability, he was really friendly, approachable and chatty. We discussed at length some of the  scores he's played on with a whole host of Hollywood legends: yes it's him doing the horn solo at the end of John Williams score to Revenge of the Sith! I was really geeking out as we were talking about some of the scores he's played on and the film composer legends he's worked with: Williams, Goldsmith, Newton Howard, Zimmer, Horner.  Wow - a real pleasure.
 It has been a privilege to work with Richard Blair-Oliphant the composer, whose score works terrifically well for the film, and who is so enviably talented, as well as being a generous, genial and disarmingly modest person. All in all I feel usual mixture of euphoria that the project has gone well mixed with the regret that it's finished and the tiredness now I  my adrenalin has stopped. I now am starting some other projects (more on these later), and hope to have half  a day off at some point! Busy times!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Moonshot

I can say something about one of my current projects: it is orchestration for Richard Blair-Oliphant's score to Moonshot which a (truly amazing) series about the moon landings for ITV in the UK, the History Channel in the US and for TV in France and Germany. I think it will be broadcast in 2009, and it is a real privilege to work on it. Richard's score is top notch and working with him has been fantastic: he is an extremely talented composer, as well as a generous and humble man. It is a project I am really excited about.

Monday, September 15, 2008

More orchestration and composition work

I am going through a very hectic spell at the moment, with orchestration and composition work on several projects for TV, film and theatre. (McDonald's jingle: duh-duh-duh-duh-daaaaa )I'm loving it, but it IS hard work. I will say more as I can, but for now there's a lot of caffeine in my diet....