The Magic of Christmas, at Cadogan Hall (Sun 4 Dec 2011)

It has been another busy year for Debbie Wiseman, what with Channel Four’s The Promise, a third series of Land Girls, not to mention a top ten album in the shape of ‘Piano Stories’. My part in the latter has certainly made 2011 a year to remember; it’s always such a pleasure to work with Debbie, so when she called early in the Summer to ask if I’d put some programme notes and a script together for ‘The Magic of Christmas’ at Cadogan Hall, I of course said yes.

The concert, in aid of the brilliant Breast Cancer Campaign, was a sequel of sorts to ‘The Pink Ribbon Gala’ which Debbie presided over in November 2009. Once again Cadogan Hall and the RPO played host to Debbie, who called in support from wonderfully talented artists, and friends, to make music, a little magic and raise vital funds for a very worthy cause.

Smooth Radio’s Simon Bates brought his legendary voice and easy charm to the proceedings, introducing the afternoon’s festive programme. Magic and Sparkle was the order of the day, with Leroy Anderson’s ‘Sleigh Ride’ the perfect opening, followed by the likes of selections from Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ – including the twinkling ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’, somehow so suited to the season.

Stories really were the order of the day though and the audience was urged to step back into their childhoods, snuggle down in their seats and listen intently. The first half was dominated then by Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Selfish Giant’, which was read by Cheri Lunghi. It was a captivating performance, helped along beautifully by Debbie’s own original music. The tears of the lady in the row behind me said it all, not to mention the reaction of one small child half way through which put the orchestra of its stroke somewhat…

With part two came another fine actor, Robert Powell, who delivered the deliciously grizzly poem ‘Jim’ by Hilaire Beloc. The poem, about a little boy who leaves his nanny’s care only to be gobbled up by a Lion, was given suitably plucky accompaniment by Debbie and RPO, who performed Benjamin Britten’s ‘Playful Pizzicato’ beneath Powell’s perfectly pitched delivery.

The afternoon also saw a couple of firsts. Debbie herself made her Cadogan Hall debut as a soloist performing a solo piano piece. ‘Isolation’, written for the film The Hide, is the opening track of the ‘Piano Stories’ album and made a great opening to the second half. Though hidden away over to the right of the stage, the pianist’s debut went off really rather well and the piece itself never fails to cast a spell.

Perhaps even more spellbinding was the second ‘premiere’, George Layton’s ‘The Fib’. The story itself is one I remember from school – indeed it cemented my own fear of the football that was to come in ‘big school’ – and it’s a real treasure. Wearing both his actor and writer hats, George himself read to us his tale about a young lad whose embarrassment at a hand-me-down football kit leads to a cracker of a playground fib. George delivered his prose with warmth and humour and Debbie Wiseman and the RPO underscored with an arrangement of music by the composer, largely made up of selections from her score for Tom’s Midnight Garden. It was a good fit and the highlight of the afternoon, made even more special for everyone concerned as the story’s hero, Bobby Charlton, was in the audience. Now ‘Sir’ Bobby, the legendary footballer travelled down from Manchester especially and made it onto the stage to thank George and Debbie and say a few words. Magical.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a song or two and providing the necessary vocals was the velvet-voiced James Loynes, who is certainly one to watch. ‘Nothing Grows on Gold’, an original song by Debbie Wiseman and Don Black, was premiered at ‘The Pink Ribbon Gala’ in 2009 and is a real winner. Don himself flew in from New York to be at the event and hear his song; it would certainly have been worth it as James truly did them proud.

Rounding off the generous concert was the quintessential Christmas song, Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’. James Loynes did the honours once again, helped along (I think) by the audience; a fittingly festive and uplifting end to a very successful event.

I was honoured to be able to play a small part in ‘The Magic of Christmas’ and Debbie and Friends can rest in the knowledge that they pulled off a cracker of a show and through ticket sales, book and CD sales on the day, added much needed funds to Breast Cancer Campaign’s piggy bank.

The concert was the icing on the cake this year for Debbie Wiseman, though there’s more to come. The cherry on top? Lost Christmas, which premieres on BBC One on Christmas Eve… Don’t miss it!

If you’d like to know more about Breast Cancer Campaign go to breastcancercampaign.org

Debbie Wiseman’s Piano Stories is available on CD, or to Download, now courtesy of Warner Classics. Go to Amazon.co.uk for more information!

On the Desk: Let's hear it for the girls...

This week I’m all about the girls (first time for everything I suppose…) and the pile of albums on my desk features a selection of strong women, both characters and composers, who are worth a mention.

Firstly, and admirably doing their bit for the War effort, are the Land Girls. The BBC’s Sunday teatime drama is just the perfect accompaniment to that time on that day. Warm, cosy, lightly dramatic, slightly comic and with a dollop of romance that makes it too hard to resist. With a third series in the works, it’s obvious it’s going down well and is just the sort of thing the BBC should be making time – and saving money – for. The BBC have teamed up with Rhino Records to release a pleasing soundtrack selection that takes in many of the period classics that litter the show’s own soundscape, alongside Debbie Wiseman’s heartwarming original scores. Packaged in an attractive, though possibly pointless, cardboard sleeve, the album is a little treasure trove of 1940s hits. Glenn Miller’s ‘In The Mood’ is a must-have in such a collection and the likes of Vera Lynn’s ‘It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow’ seal the deal. Throughout the disc we’re treated to cuts by The Geoff Pearce Little Big Band,Benny Goodman & His Orchestra, The Andrews Sisters, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra and the wonderful Connie Carter. The Chelsea Pensioners offer a Military Medley, while The Soldiers open the selection with Debbie Wiseman’s own title song ‘While We’re Away’ (written with Don Black no less). Debbie’s original music peppers the period tunes and the selections of score rely heavily on her winning main theme – itself lilting, wistful and suitably misty-eyed. Obviously I’m always up for plenty more Debbie Wiseman on a soundtrack album, but this package is very fitting and nice product that captures the feel and energy of the much-loved drama.

Debbie’s theme from Land Girls also features on ‘Piano Stories’, the composer’s new solo piano album which hits the shops tomorrow (Monday 19 September)! Now while I may have had more than a little to do with its inception, I can’t tell you enough just how wonderful the album is. The piano has featured prominently throughout Debbie’s scores for film and television and it is the instrument she turns to for inspiration when she’s composing. With that in mind the music selected for ‘Piano Stories’ is Debbie Wiseman’s music as it was originally conceived – just on piano. Something of a look over her shoulder, it features new recordings of themes from Wilde, The Upper Hand, Children’s Hospital, Haunted, Tom & Viv, Lesbian Vampire Killers, Stephen Fry in America and Joanna Lumley’s Nile. It also features a couple of exclusives, including her soulful, spine-tingling theme from The Hide and the plaintively evocative theme from The Throne. There’s even more than that – indeed we were quite generous! – so much so if you go to iTunes there are even a couple of bonus tracks not on the CD. It’s a beautiful document of a career and a personality in music; I can guarantee you won’t regret buying it… Promise.

From rural England to Ancient China now and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Wayne Wang’s film of Lisa See’s novel about two girls who form a deep bond and create a unique way of communicating at a time when women were to be seen and not heard. The film looks gorgeous and its score, by Rachel Portman, is characteristically gossamer and pleasing to the ear. It feels as if Rachel has been quiet of late, so its great to have a major score release in this not unfamiliar vain. Twinkling, tinkling piano and fluttering orchestral shades are the order of the day here, together bringing about a quiet sense of beauty and sumptuous colour. I do enjoy Rachel Portman’s music – indeed her ‘Soundtracks’ compilation album features regularly on my playlist at home and while she isn’t perhaps the most inventive of composers these days, her trusted palette continues to captivate with its delightful turns of phrase and emotive undercurrents.

Jane Eyre is the target of yet another big screen adaptation this month as Cary Fukunaga’s vision of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel hits multiplexes in the UK. Dario Marienelli joins the ranks of Bernard Herrmann, John Williams and Claudio Capponi, to underscore this latest outing and does so with stunning effect. With his score for Pride & Prejudice in mind, Dario is perhaps the perfect choice to score Jane Eyre and he yet again creates a score full of scintillating romance, passion and high drama. The piano features of course here, but takes something of a back seat to the violin which forms the beating heart of the work. Jack Liebeck provides the performance here and it’s a match made in heaven as the young virtuoso breathes a fiery elegance into the gorgeous lines gifted to him by the composer. I’m a sucker for a great violin score and the union of the brilliant Liebeck with the talented Marianelli means Jane Eyre is up there with the likes of The Red Violin, Schindler’s List, Cinema Paradiso and Ladies in Lavender. Liebeck is himself no stranger to film scoring having provided intense and exciting playing on Debbie Wiseman’s Middletown back in 2006 (as well as her popular Oscar Wilde Fairy Tales album before that). Jane Eyre though is a triumph and a favourite score of the year so far for me personally; surely another Oscar nomination is in the bag for Dario…

The violin takes centre stage on Tadlow Music’s latest album, which puts the spotlight on the talented young woman behind pretty much all of the violin solos you will have heard on City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra recordings in recent years. ‘Lucie Švehlová: The Lark Ascending’ finds the leader of the CPPO headline for the first time in a collection of ‘Classical and Film Music Violin Romances’. Two of the scores I mentioned above feature here, with John Williams’ Schindler’s List taking dominating the middle section with three selections (the two obvious ones, alongside the always-hair-raising ‘Jewish Town’). Nigel Hess’ Ladies in Lavender never fails to uplift and Lucie carries it beautifully, while the likes of Rozsa’s gorgeous ‘Gabrielle’ from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes and his love theme from El Cid complete the well known film titles. Andre Previn’s ‘Romance’ from The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a surprising, but not unwelcome addition, when you consider all the other great violin pieces that could have been included. An original composition by Nic Raine called ‘Renacuajo’ is another surprise, but why not, and the classical staples ‘The Lark Ascending’ and ‘Greensleeves’ complete the set on a legitimate note. The latter is actually arranged as a ‘Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra’ (by Paul Hart) and is a premiere recording… Great stuff and lovely playing, as ever, from Lucie – the darling of the City of Prague Phil…

Finally we look to Miss Red Riding Hood, the cover star of The Weinstein Company’s Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil. While the first film tried and failed to equal the popularity of DreamWorks’ Shrek canon, that didn’t stop the producers whipping out a second colourful instalment. The fact that it was shelved for a year or two shouldn’t put you off – ours is not to reason why the wherefores of the Hollywood legal system. For me it was a real shame because I’d known all along that the brilliant and insanely talented Murray Gold had done the music. Not content with supplying hundreds of minutes of sparkling, rambunctious and powerfully emotional music for the BBC’s Doctor Who, the British-born-now-based-in-the-US composer is doing wonderful things for other shows, dramas and – here – big, glossy animated features! Hoodwinked finds Murray pretty much going all out create the feistiest, flashiest collection of cues you could ask for in a fast-paced, hopefully-laugh-a-minute comedy. Mickey-mousing this may be (in part) but with team Who doing the biz, it’s anything but paint-by-numbers. Madcap, heroic, sometimes beautiful, it’s everything Doctor Who is celebrated for, but with a few extra whams and whizzes to keep you on your toes. The score is as smart as it is fun and quite honestly exhausting if you’re not in the mood. But what a piece of work it is… He came, he scored… he outdid himself frankly.

Piano Stories, released on Warner Classics, is available from 19 September from Amazon.co.uk, with Rhino’s Land Girls, Sony’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Jane Eyre, not to mention Lakeshore’s Hoodwinked Too! already on sale. Tadlow’s lovely violin disc can be ordered from Silvascreenmusic.com…

Thanks to Sony Music, Tadlow Music, Warner Classics, Debbie Wiseman and Murray Gold.

I'm all about Herrmann right now...

Goodness where has the time gone? It’s almost August and I haven’t written a blog for some time. I blame Bernard Herrmann entirely. You see, Mr Herrmann would have been 100 years old on 29 June and with that in mind there has been a flurry of concerts and events taking place to mark the grand occasion. Not least of all a fantastic month long film season at Bristol’s Watershed Media Centre, with whom I worked a little on beefing up their fine festival micro-site -www.watershed.co.uk/herrmann

It seemed all I did throughout May and June was live, breathe and muse on the life and music of Bernard Herrmann, which isn’t a bad thing I suppose. My iPod was – and still is – chock full of the best of Benny. I went to the RPO’s brilliant Film Music Gala, which had a special tribute to BH (that was in fact my last blog entry) and later that month I penned some programme notes for a very special concert at St George’s Bristol, where the Tippett Quartet showcased Herrmann’s captivating ‘Echoes’ String Quartet, alongside a specially commissioned Quartet suite from Psycho. Making the event even more special was the presence of Mrs Norma Herrmann. Having Norma present really added a seal of approval to the concert (a highlight of the Watershed’s festival). I spoke with her a little and she delighted in sharing stories of her time with Benny… ‘He was a terrible pianist…’ being just one of the engrossing anecdotes she came out with.

The event itself was a fine launch as well for my campaign ‘A Blue Plaque for Bernard Herrmann’. Concertgoers at St George’s, Norma Herrmann and the Tippett Quartet themselves were some of the first names to be added in support of having an English Heritage Blue Plaque erected at one of Herrmann’s former London homes.

I’m a couple of weeks away from finally submitting the application document – which I’m assembling with fine assistance from Bernard Herrmann Society scribe Gunether Kogebehn – which will be supported by the petition of names. The list of supporters is still growing and I’m overwhelmed and chuffed to pieces that so many people have gotten in touch to lend their names. This week alone has seen an abundance of support from across the Atlantic with Intrada Records, La La La Land Records, Perseverance Records and Film Score Monthly all adding their stamp to the list. They join the likes of Mark Isham, Debbie Wiseman, Christopher Gunning, Conrad Pope, John Williams, the RPO, the LSO and the Halle Orchestra who have all expressed their support so far. Those are just the big names and there are of course many many of Herrmann’s fans across the world and I thank each and every one of them for supporting the campaign too.

If you’d like to add your name in support then email me now – michael@michaelbeek.co.uk and I’ll add you to the petition. If you’d like more information on the campaign then take a look at my original article here on the Watershed’s Herrmann micro-site: http://www.watershed.co.uk/herrmann/blue-plaque.html

Film Music Gala 2011

A month later than usual and a change of title didn’t stop the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from laying on another delectable feast of fine film music classics. Their annual film music concert, now known as 'Film Music Gala', is always a popular event, featuring performances of some of the best in blockbusting film music and a sprinkling of new treats.

The packed house at the Royal Albert Hall were in fine mood – possibly thanks to the balmy weather outside – and that mood was lifted further with the RPO’s characteristically sturdy renditions of main themes from Gladiator, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Mission: Impossible, Out of Africa, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List and Star Wars.

Those crowd-pleasers aside – though Clio Gould’s performance of Williams’ Schindler’s List was top-notch, not to mention the always hair-raising Jurassic Park – the highlights for me came from other programme selections…

It is of course Bernard Herrmann’s centenary year, indeed his big 100 is on 29 June, and as such film and film music fans are being treated to all kinds of tributes and celebrations the world over. Last night was no exception as the RPO performed music from four of the esteemed composer’s greatest film scores; his first, Citizen Kane; his last, Taxi Driver and his two biggest Hitchcock classics: Vertigo and Psycho. Hearing Herrmann’s music live is always a thrill for me and as always the selection from Taxi Driver raised hairs and blood-pressure with its violent throws and delicious Saxophone lines. Psycho was afforded the usual giggles when it came to ‘The Murder’, not least of all because conductor Paul Bateman, baton clenched in his fist, ‘stabbed’ the orchestra through the cue… inspired. The tribute to Herrmann was made all the more special by the presence of his widow Norma, who waved and gave a hearty thumbs-up from her seat in the stalls.

The event is always blessed with special guest conductors and this year was no exception as in the first half we were treated to two suites of music by the great John Scott, who was on hand to direct the orchestra. On paper the selections may not have inspired too much excitement from the layman, but the performances of music from Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan and The Final Countdown proved to be some of the biggest and most exciting of the entire evening. It was a special moment for Bristol-born Scott who recorded the latter score with the orchestra at CTS-Wembley back in 1980, so it was something of a reunion and the band did him proud. When briefly interviewed by presenter Tommy Pearson about his music and the influence of Bernard Herrmann on composers in general, Scott was enthusiastic and went on to make something of a faux-pas as he exclaimed he was always impressed and blown away by Herrmann’s music for Hitchcock’s Rope… The film was of course some seven years before Herrmann and Hitchcock first worked together (on The Trouble With Harry) and what little music was in the film was by the uncredited David Buttolph. Of course only a complete film music nut and Herrmann aficionado like myself would croak and sputter at such a mistake and it likely went over the heads of the majority of the gathered mass.

Part Two saw the RPO joined by one of its very special friends and ‘Film Music Gala’ regular, Debbie Wiseman. Debbie is a popular figure at the event and she always has something new up her sleeve (whether she has any or not, in this case it was a sleeveless, off the shoulder number) and for her 2011 stint she brought with her a new concert arrangement of her gloriously perky 1999 score for Tom’s Midnight Garden and the premiere of music from The Promise, which she scored this year for Peter Kosminsky and Channel 4. It goes without saying both pieces went down well, the latter fizzing with high drama…

So another RPO Film Music Frenzy (perhaps next year’s title?) ticked off the calendar and a highly enjoyable evening, as ever. It’s just smashing to see so many people beaming with delight as classics of the silver screen play out and not just us mere mortals. I spotted an Oscar-winner in the crowd, not to mention Christopher Gunning, and Hi De Hi's Su Pollard! It takes all sorts it seems.

Till next time!


With thanks to Doran Harding, Royal Albert Hall and Debbie Wiseman.

On The Desk VIII

Busy times in the real world have kept me from the desk, so it’s been a little while since my last blog. I think the last one was more of a rant actually… Apologies for that. So back to it, refreshed-ish and a pile of albums amassing atop the table. But where to begin? I might begin with a little self promotion as Silva Screen’s wonderful ‘Francis Lai: The Essential Film Music Collection’ is with us at last. What sets this release apart from their traditional ‘Essential’ series entries is that this selection is conducted by the composer himself with his orchestra. So something of a seal of approval from a composer who is oft-overlooked. The album is a re-issue of a Japanese release and with liner notes by yours truly it’s a neat little package that gathers together the best of Lai’s entrancing and unendingly charming music. Silva have been busy of late what with their latest Debbie Wiseman release The Promise (a typically emotive and thought-provoking piece of work from the First Lady of Film Music, with cracking cover-art) and more besides. Not least of all yet another release from the pen of Mr. Murray Gold for Doctor Who The 2010 Christmas Special - 'A Christmas Carol' - saw Welsh wonder Katherine Jenkins take on her first acting role, so it was a given that she’d end up singing at some point. Murray crafted ‘Abigail’s Song’ for her and it is of course the standout track of the album - the first entire episode soundtrack to be released after four albums of Series highlights. With additional vocal accompaniment from the usual bods of The Crouch End Festival Chorus, the song – although cunningly simplistic – manages to raise the hairs on the back of your neck when Jenkins and the Chorus are in full force. The larger score is essentially what we’ve come to expect, love – nay crave – from the Time Lord’s adventures. With that in mind this is nothing short of a musical spectacular, a full throttle orchestral score with bags of charm, moments of magic and a few punchy little numbers along the way. With Series 6 not far away, appetites are certainly whetted… more to come of course, not least of all the release on CD of Murray’s utterly brilliant score for the Weinstein Company’s animated sequel Hoodwinked Too. The soundtrack is coming – finally – from Lakeshore Records in the US, so perhaps Silva will be able to pick it up here? Here’s hoping, it’s tops. Another BBC series that has gotten people all fired up in the UK is Being Human. I was certainly in on the ground floor when Series 1 aired in 2009 and have been hooked ever since. The premise is fairly straightforward… a Ghost, a Vampire and a Werewolf live together in contemporary Britain, trying to fit in and live as human a life as possible. While its obvious overtones of fantasy, horror and indeed comedy were duly noted, I was surprised at just how damned moving the ongoing series’ have been. Series 3 has just finished here and what a series that was… Just brilliant. The music for the show is composed by Richard Wells, who until then was known to me thanks to his rather good score for The Mutant Chronicles. For Being Human Wells applies smaller scale music, often solo instrumentalists/groups amongst a wealth of well conceived programming. That said the music seemed to me to play quite a back seat as nothing particularly memorable ever stayed with me, bar the metallic/percussive end credits piece. This does of course mean the music is doing its job… With that in mind though I was intrigued to discover Silva Screen were to release an album and I hungrily took it in. What a discovery it was too! It’s a disc full of fire, emotion and humour and of course returning to watch the remaining episodes of the third series, those melodies jumped right out with a bit of familiarity. Highlights include the entrancing ‘Beautiful Chaos’ and ‘Annie’s Theme’, but the whole selection has a lot to offer. This is quite simply just great contemporary TV music with a fine mix of live performances and programmed hues to make you shiver, swoon and giggle, much like the series itself. Roll on Series Four! Finally from Silva is The Eagle, which comes from Atli Örvarsson. I admit to being a little narrow minded when I saw the release, what with the obvious connections and homages to Gladiator in the trailer etc, not to mention the fact that Örvarsson himself worked with the great Zimmer too. A cursory glance at the score credits though revealed a wealth of live performers, soloists and interesting instrumentation and I have to say it’s quite a colourful score. Sure there are some echoes of the omniscient Zimmer here, plus a few strains of Newman (Thomas) and Horner. There’s a lot of Celtic colour throughout the score, which shouldn’t have been such a surprise given the locale of the story (Old Britain and its borderland with Scotland) and the use of traditional folk melodies and such like. Percussion, dulcimer, cimbalom, pipes and vocals make up just some of the many additions to the usual suspects, all making for a robust film score all told. Ground breaking this might not be, but it’s good to hear something that’s had more than a little thought go into it. Of course the director is Kevin MacDonald and his past efforts have always seen cunningly conceived scores and source pieces by Alex Heffes. It was of course a surprise not to see Heffes attached to The Eagle… Small shame, but Örvarsson has stepped up to the plate admirably. La La Land Records continue to be generous with their releases and their recent roster has been typically good. John Morris is included once again with another fine turn in the shape of 1985’s Clue. The classic comedic whodunit is of course based on the board game ‘Cluedo’ and the colourful cast of characters are ably supported by Morris’ orchestral modes. Typically the composer takes the comedy very seriously with brassy accents, shivering strings, some camp electronics and a punchy little main theme capturing something of the mad-capped-ness of it all, not to mention the overriding ‘mystery’. A classic, of course. Another classic of the silver screen is noted with a double disc release of Ernest Gold’s It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, a film which saw a cavalcade of comedy stars from the Silent Era through through to the then ‘present’ day. The likes of Buster Keaton and Mickey Rooney were billed alongside Phil Silvers, Ethel Merman and Jonathan Winters. The score, one of Gold’s most famous is suitably sprawling with its circus-like main theme giving way to unending thrills and spills for orchestra. Disc One captures the entire score, while Disc Two presents the original LP re-issue. Performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, it’s quite a feat and a treat for the ears. Testosterone is definitely on the menu with the next two La La Land releases, namely Hans Zimmer’s Broken Arrow and Mark Mancina’s Money Train. Both are fine examples of 90s action scoring at its best, with Zimmer’s tried and tested brand of orchestral, synth, guitar mash-up working wonders for the big budget machismo-fest. The main theme, for guitar, is simple but has become somewhat iconic now and this very generous two-disc album showcases the work in its entirety with bonus selections from the original album too. Mancina’s effort from the previous year is of course related, given the two composer’s collaborative history, but it stands out as pure Mancina with the oh-so energetic figures just bursting out of the speakers. Again guitars and keyboards meet full-throttle action orchestra here, but with less emphasis on synth-pads. The composer reminisces in the sleeve booklet about the period, citing it as ‘the good old days’. These scores certainly paved the way for much of the modern film music we hear today and good or bad, these elder cousins are just brilliant examples of action film scoring done right. Finally an interesting release from La La Land by one of the brightest stars beginning work in Hollywood today, Abel Korzeniowski. The Polish-born composer of course came to fame through his staggeringly beautiful work on Tom Ford’s A Single Man and La La Land have released the composer’s music for a previously unknown Polish animation called Copernicus’ Star. The gorgeous little film was helped along beautifully by the original score, recorded in Poland with orchestra and chorus, and the selection released here only goes to prove just how talented a composer Abel Korzeniowski really is. The depth of emotion, melody and colour found here is again rather staggering and I for one am chomping at the bit to hear more from this exciting new voice. Lots to think about, seek out and enjoy if you can. Visit silvascreenmusic.com and lalalandrecords.com for more information and ordering information, not to mention news on their latest treats. As for me? The desk is empty once again, so I’ll be back soon with more thoughts on the latest releases.

On The Desk VII

Well here we are again, at the desk and contemplating all things Film Music (and, it goes without saying, More Besides). I’ve had quite an influx this last week or so, passed on from labels, composers, friends and even a few I’ve actually bought myself – which is a rare occurrence these days I can tell you. I still enjoy the rush of buying an album though, particularly if it’s for my collection. This week I filled some gaps in the Horner line-up, so I finally inserted Avatar, The Karate Kid, Jade and 48 Hours in… The Karate Kid, a surprise entry in the composer’s resume last year to be sure, is a great listen actually. I do find James Horner comes out guns blazing when he’s against the clock (many composers do in fact). The album is one of those controversial CD-R releases, made to order so to speak. Do I mind this? Well to be honest I haven’t thought about it along any further line than ‘oh it’s on CD, let me at it!’. I suppose there are some things to consider with the rise of the CD-R album, but I don’t think I have the energy to go into it now. All I know is I’m enjoying the album very much. End of.


48 Hours is an interesting little disc; first time on CD and featuring just about half an hour of Horner’s original score. The film, and score, is as old (or indeed young) as me… So yes it is a little dated here and there, but it represents one of the composer’s really early Hollywood entries (1982 fyi) and shows him in action, non sci-fi/fantasy mode which is seemingly all we know of him from that period. Some subtle electronics linger around the orchestral forces (not massive, but sizeable) and they come together with steel drum (yes, remember that in Commando? It’s the same here, and very similar all round I’d say) creating a rather interesting underscore to the otherwise snappy buddy comedy antics on screen. Horner very much lets the performers (Nolte and Murphy) do their thing and underlines the more serious aspects of the unfolding drama, chases and wotnot. It’s over in a flash of course, but the album goes on with original songs by The BusBoys and one source cue by the brilliant Ira Newborn, who also produced the songs. Good to tick the box though and have the album and it’s a colourful listen when all is said and done.

Last time round I promised The Promise (can one promise a promise?) and so I turn now to Debbie Wiseman’s latest dramatic turn for director Peter Kosminsky. The mini-series has just started on Channel 4 – so catch up if you can – and the composer’s emotional musical underpinning is characteristically on the money. Ebbing and flowing with a well honed sense of drama, Debbie Wiseman’s music is at once even tempered, subtly exotic and always beautiful. The traditional middle eastern instrumentation – including Oud, Kaval, Duduk and Arabic Violin – peppered throughout the cues is well balanced alongside the more usual solo turns from members of the RPO and of course the composer herself on Piano. Following two characters 60 years apart in history, the music is able to straddle both narrative strands allowing Debbie to make even distinctions thematically. There’s a darker hue to some of the flashback moments – ‘The Settlers’ and ‘The Fight’ for example – while the deeper emotion is often found in the cues with the least orchestration. It’s amazing what a solo piano can say… Food for thought and another fine score, plus a very generous album from Silva Screen Records.




Silva also released The Rite by Alex Heffes. Alex is such a great composer, and a jolly nice chap to boot, so it’s always good to hear new things from him. This film, by Swedish director Mikael Håfström stars the oh-so brilliant Anthony Hopkins as an unconventional Catholic Priest who tutors a young seminary at the Vatican’s Exorcism School… Fascinating stuff then, and a robust effort from the composer who opts for largely conventional trains of thought, given the subject matter. There are urgent strings, swathe of chorus, bubbling brass and jolting percussion aplenty, particularly in the exorcism cues themselves. ‘Exorcism of Lucas Part 1’ has a particularly impressive jump-start and builds to a heady fusion of contemporary atmospherics which, when coupled with some snarling brass and eerie choral moments, makes for a textbook gothic horror cue full of shudders. Textbook is often good, particularly when coming from a composer of this calibre and being as we haven’t heard anything like this from him before, it’s not a bad route to take… this is Hollywood after all and as a young, relatively unknown composer, you really need to stay within the parameters of what’s known and accepted by producers, otherwise they might go elsewhere. While Alex has done some great films, this is the first glossy Hollywood entry away from Kevin MacDonald and it’s a great first crack at the big studio nut.

Merry Christmas!?

Has Christmas come early, or is it late? La La Land Records’ release of Home Alone has appeared on my desk, at last. Ok so it’s late, the album was released in time for the movie’s twentieth anniversary (I cannot believe I’m writing that…). The film, produced by the late John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus, has become a festive family classic and it’s music goes a long way to creating that sense of Christmas cheer, familial warmth and comedic caper. This new pressing from the label is just brilliant, with all of Williams’ cues collected together in film order, not to mention versions of his original songs (‘Somewhere in My Memory’ and ‘Star of Bethlehem’, written with Leslie Bricusse). While the original CBS Records soundtrack album (which is normally on repeat in the house every season) captured the heart of the music created for the film, there are a handful of fresh cues here to enjoy, plus some additional music in the shape of source cues (carol medleys and alternates) to make it worth the purchase, not to mention the fact that the 1990 album is very hard to find nowadays… The big draw for me was the booklet which features some great background to the film’s production and the creation of the score. It seems Williams was never considered – Bruce Broughton was credited in early trailers, but had to abandon the project due to other commitments – and it was only when he was treated to a sneak preview screening at Amblin Entertainment that he himself requested to do the picture, so excited was he by it. After all those years at the top of his game, and his name attached to near enough every Hollywood blockbuster in recent history, it’s no surprise Williams had a canny eye for a surefire hit… which it was.




La La Land are very much championing the music of the great John Morris, having release a number of his works in recent times, indeed the label just announced Clue which is fresh off the bat following their release of the brilliant Haunted Honeymoon. A master of pastiche, Morris provided a full-blown orchestral score for Gene Wilder’s 1986 comedy shocker using the talents of the London Symphony Orchestra no less. Wildly scintillating in places and full of fun in others – the main titles as source music for example in ‘Memory Music/Wolfington Castle – Haunted Honeymoon is a comedy score that takes itself absolutely seriously, though with its tongue firmly in its cheek of course! Jeff Bond’s liner notes are typically informative, making for a fine package all in all. With a composer as talented as Morris and an ensemble as mighty as the LSO you just can’t go wrong. Well done La La Land.

Speechless

Finally I look to The King’s Speech which I’ve finally managed to have a listen to away from the film itself, and what a film. It’s the BAFTAs this coming Sunday night and I’m in no doubt that this film will sweep the board, including a nod for Alexandre Desplat who has yet again delivered a sensitively sparkling dramatic score. There’s charisma here, beauty of course and emotional hues born of subtlety and a lightness of touch we’ve become so accustomed to. While Desplat’s score underlines the majority of the drama, his typically delicate title cue dances around slightly more sombre string passages. Those ‘heavier’ moments (as heavy as Desplat can be when he decorates them so elegantly) lead nicely into the disc’s final selection of Beethoven pieces. Of course the film’s denouement, where His Majesty gives the speech of his life, is underscored by a passage from Beethoven’s 7th which is chock full of tempered emotion it inspired tears by the scene’s end. A fine disc from Decca Records and hopefully an award-winning soundtrack for the composer of the hour.


Next time? Who knows… though I do have a confession to make. I’ve been listening to Henry Jackman’s Gullivers Travels and I’m excited, that’s all I’m saying. More on him next time.

The Promise and The Rite are available from Silva Screen Records now – silvascreenmusic.com – while lalalandrecords.com will take you to all manner of delights, including the Morris scores, Home Alone and their fine releases of Batman Returns and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier…

And I'm back...

Okay it’s a new year, which means I’ve made several resolutions and while these include making a better attempt at learning some Portuguese and going to the gym (big tick against the latter) I feel the most important to anyone reading this is thus: Blog. More. So here goes, 2011 blogging underway. Film Music and, as ever, More Besides.

So what have I to say in this, my first blog of the new year? Well I’ll come to that, but first I’d like to express my amusement at the Golden Globe for ‘Best Original Score’ going to The Social Network. Did it even have a score? Wait, of course it did… not traditional by any means and perhaps I shouldn’t poo-poo the work of… who was it again? Sorry. The BAFTA nominations, now there’s a list of contenders: Powell, Zimmer, Rahman, Desplat and Elfman. I’d like to see Alexandre Desplat take home a Mask finally – for The King’s Speech -, though Zimmer’s efforts for Inception were utterly brilliant. Hans has been nominated four times throughout his career… so maybe he’s overdue? Elfman too I guess, but he shouldn’t win for Alice in Wonderland… should he? and anyway, I'll never forgive that terrible jig at the end.

The truth is the films with the biggest PR & Marketing junkets tend to win the awards it seems, which is why The Social Network took the Globe this month for Music. I genuinely think The King’s Speech is the biggest British film of the year (though it’s a co-prod. With Australia) and therefore BAFTA will bestow Desplat, finally, with an award… let’s see eh? We’ll find out on 13 Feb.

What else then…

Ah yes, the point of this blog – apart from an awards moan – is to re-instate my ‘On The Desk’ series of blogs. This allows me to air my thoughts and musings on music that is sitting on my desk (funnily enough!). I do still, from time to time, receive albums for review purposes and while I just haven’t the time to write full reviews any longer, I feel it’s only fair to those who continue to provide me with freebies that I at least give them a ‘shout out’. Of course from time to time, and as whim takes me, I may decide I want to share a much fuller analysis of something I’ve enjoyed/hated/whatever. So keep an eye out…

In other news (not that I want to particularly be a newsy) one of my favourite composers, and indeed people, has a couple of delightful albums on the way in the next few weeks, which is great. Debbie Wiseman has composed another score for director Peter Kosminsky, The Promise, which is a five part drama screening on Channel 4 in February. A very generous album of Debbie’s gorgeous and emotional score is coming from Silva Screen! Don’t miss that and don’t miss Rhino Records’ disc of the BBC’s Land Girls which offers some of Debbie’s lovely accompanying notes, an original song performed by ‘The Soldiers’ and also, if that weren’t enough, some period wartime songs. Ought to be very tuneful. Both Wiseman discs available in February I think.

So first blog of the year closing. Next time I shall be picking my way through some of the discs on the desk.. which include some delightful discoveries from Buenos Aires-based composing duo Daniel Tarrab and Andrés Goldstein, a new release of Vangelis’ The Bounty and, as ever, much More Besides.

Happy New Year!

Wilde & Wonderful

It’s been a while since I wrote anything here, so I thought it was high time I got back into the swing of blogging. Time just seems to run away doesn’t it? Still, the world of film music (and more besides) goes on and while I’m not going to spend any time looking back at what’s been going on since I last ‘blogged’, I would like to share my thoughts with you on a recent visit to London for a ‘Wilde & Wonderful’ evening of words and music.

This was no ordinary concert, for it was a select few who were gathered in the Egyptian Ballroom of Mansion House (a gorgeously gilded space which is at once breathtakingly lavish and strangely intimate). Aldermen, Masters and even the occasional ‘celeb’ were brought together beneath the towering columns to celebrate and support Treloar’s College, an absolute gem of a place.

In the wilds of the Hampshire countryside the lives of young physically disabled children are being changed, for the better, on a daily basis as Treloar’s School and College supports, educates and nourishes these youngsters, preparing them for adult life. There are many success stories, as we discovered at the concert, with some students going on to university. One such former student Hannah Fielding read a self-penned poem about what the school and college has meant to her; it really was the perfect dedication, realising in words why we were all there and confirming how important it was that vital funds were raised to help the school and its students grow further still.

Having been invited by Debbie Wiseman to contribute the programme notes and presentation script for the concert (the latter to be read by Sir Terry Wogan, no less) I felt I was able to do my bit for the show and it’s inspiring cause. I was delighted to be able to attend as well and see it all come together, with the talented young musicians of the Junior Trinity Symphony Orchestra performing a varied programme under the baton of both Debbie Wiseman and their principal conductor Andrew Morley.

Having a youth orchestra perform was an inspired idea. We were there to celebrate the young people of Treloar’s, and to have a band of youngsters help us do that with music was just wonderful. They had their work cut out too as this was no easy programme. Sure there were a couple of classical standards (‘Air on a G String’ and ‘Salut D’Amore’) within the programme, but the majority of the running time would go to Debbie’s own music. ‘The Selfish Giant’ and ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’ formed the heart of the show, with actors George Layton and Cheri Lunghi performing Oscar Wilde’s captivating narratives. While excerpts from both pieces had been performed at other events, it was just stunning to hear the whole piece (story and music) live. The music is of course simply gorgeous, perfectly underscoring Wilde’s creations with heartrending beauty and visceral tenacity in places.

I was genuinely impressed with the orchestra who took on these effervescent compositions admirably, not to mention the likes of Britten’s ‘Playful Pizzicato’. That piece supported a brilliant performance of the poem ‘Jim’ from Robert Powell. Particular mention must go to the pianist – apparently just 14 – whose measured performance shone during ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’, not to mention the bird’s song itself which was played just perfectly by the solo flautist.

With a rousing performance of Wiseman’s ‘Wild West’ from Wilde (accompanied by a bit of dodgy clapping from us) the show came to its conclusion and those of us not signed up for a posh dinner went into the night with a nightingale’s song in our hearts.

Suffice to say it was a great success and much needed funds were raised for the school and college’s new building programme which will see them moving to one site so that they can continue the inspiring work they do with these very special young people.

If you'd like to learn more about Treloar's School and College or indeed make a donation, then get yourself to http://www.treloar.org.uk/

The Pink Ribbon Gala

Not only is Debbie Wiseman a wonderfully talented film composer, she also has a big heart and a generous spirit. All of the above were on display last night at London’s Cadogan Hall, where Debbie put on a very fine show, and all for charity.

The Pink Ribbon Gala was organised by the composer to help raise awareness and vital funds for Breast Cancer Campaign, one of the UK’s leading Breast Cancer charities. With more than a little help from her friends – namely the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, broadcasting legend Simon Bates, and a handful of stars from stage and screen – Debbie presided over a lovely concert programme of accessible classical music, not to mention a good many of her own works for the screen. The theme was certainly words and music, with specially selected pieces by poets such as Oscar Wilde, T.S. Eliot and Hilaire Beloc read to music from Wilde, Tom & Viv and a portion of the composer’s beautiful accompaniment for ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’ (as composed for the grammy nominated album of Oscar Wilde Fairy Tales).

The RPO were in fine fettle as ever, at home certainly on their own stage, and with images projected overhead, they accompanied Cheri Lunghi – reading Eliot’s ‘Five Finger Exercises’, Timothy West – who read Wilde’s gorgeous ‘Serenade for Music’, George Layton – in charge of the aforementioned ‘Nightingale and the Rose’, and the ever-brilliant Prunella Scales – reading Beloc’s grizzly ditty ‘Jim’, about a small boy who lets go of his Nanny’s hand only to be eaten by a hungry Lion.


The texts were well chosen and worked really very well against the music – both were given time to breathe, which was a blessing and while they were all marvellous, the highlight was surely ‘Jim’, set against Benjamin Britten’s ‘Simple Symphony: Playful Pizzicato’ There were instances of music without words, with the show opening to the tune of Bach’s sobering ‘Air on a G-String’, while Debbie’s own suite from ITV’s My Uncle Silas perked things up in the second half. Selections by Borodin and Holst – the former’s gorgeous ‘Nocturne’ from his second string quartet and the latter’s always-frolicsome ‘Finale’ from his ‘St. Paul’s Suite’ – were well received during the first half, with the latter putting a spring in our steps on the way to the bar!

You can always rely on Debbie Wiseman to have something new up her sleeve and this occasion was no exception. For the last few years she has been working with Oscar-winning lyricist Don Black on a new musical called Feather Boy. Originally staged with an all child cast a couple of years ago as part of the Shell Connections series on London’s South Bank, the pair have revisited the idea – based on Nicky Singer's award-winning children’s book – and have filled it out and readied it for the West End stage. It’s certainly been a labour of love and I know that Debbie was very pleased to be able to unveil one of the centrepiece songs from the new show. ‘Nothing Grows On Gold’, performed by the delightful Mary Carewe, proved itself to be a classic showstopper with some real wind beneath its wings. The show itself is set to debut officially in 2010…

The evening fluttered by it seemed and the room was filled with a lot of spirit and good will. Ending the show with an encore of ‘Wilde West’ from Wilde, Debbie had us clapping along, with a handful of unashamed yokels offering the off ‘Yee Haw’ to boot. It was a jolly end to a very pleasant evening of music and words and I think it was without doubt a big success for Breast Cancer Campaign. Well done to all involved for putting on a marvellous show.


If you’d like to find out more about the work that Breast Cancer Campaign do, or if you’d like to make a donation then please visit www.breastcancercampaign.org/.

Rolling out the Classics - Filmharmonic 2009

There is one permanent entry in my diary year after year that I always look forward to and can never bring myself to miss – Filmharmonic. I go along to the Albert Hall knowing fully what to expect – indeed this is my fifth year – as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra take to the stage to perform some of cinema’s greatest film themes. Before you open the programme you know you’re going to see the words Gladiator, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Mission: Impossible, Superman, Witness and Pirates of the Caribbean. These days you know you won’t see Rocky in the programme, but you know full well that Bill Conti’s rousing fanfare and theme will provide the encore piece. Does any of this matter? I used to think so, but I’ve come to embrace the annual dusting off of the classic film music repertoire. Why? Because it’s just so damned good.

There’s no doubt either that the performance won’t be up to scratch and this year it was largely agreed that the RPO excelled themselves with what I considered a really punchy performance. A few pieces in the past have come across somewhat lacklustre, tired even, but this year they were each performed with a lot of flair and power, particularly Williams’ glorious theme from Jurassic Park (though they still use the score with the wrong note at the start!), the obligatory Superman and Goodwin’s downright brilliant theme from Where Eagles Dare.

A highlight moment for me always comes with the guest conductors and while the producers rarely stray far from their usual contact list, it’s always a nice opportunity to a) see a composer conduct their own music, and b) hear something you haven’t heard live before. Last night saw David Arnold take to the stage at the Albert Hall for the first time in a few years. David would be the first to agree he isn’t really a conductor, but he kept the ensemble together – using a red pencil I might add – and appeared to thoroughly enjoy conducting his perky waltz from The Stepford Wives, an orchestral rendering of ‘You Know My Name’ from Casino Royale and the cue ‘A Night at the Opera’ from Quantum of Solace. While the former Bond snippet was obviously barnstorming, the real highlight for me was the latter dramatic cue and although it didn’t end with much fanfare, it was a riveting addition.

British Film and TV stalwart Debbie Wiseman is a permanent and very welcome fixture at Filmharmonic and she can always be counted on to bring her latest score pages – and a rowdy posse – with her. This year saw her lead the orchestra through a suite from Lesbian Vampire Killers - her most recent film score – preceded by a selection from Tom & Viv – her first. It was a nice touch making those career bookend selections and the former certainly went down well, with members of the film’s team – including director Phil Claydon – offering no end of support from their seats in the Grand Tier. I told Debbie I would make some noise after the suite, but it really wasn’t needed with them in the room! While the film itself has suffered very mixed reviews, there’s no doubt that the music is a triumph. The composer and director make a good team and I’m fairly certain it won’t be the last we’ll see and hear of them together.


As usual a few additional nuggets littered the programme, with a rendering of Ray Parker Jr’s Ghostbusters title song leaving me slightly red-faced in the first half. While it featured very colourful orchestration and some great brass, it was all just a bit embarrassing frankly… I’ll never condone orchestral versions of songs. It really was something weird, and it didn’t sound good, particularly when it came to the point where people would normally shout ‘Ghostbusters!’ – that was left to the brass… oh dear.

What should have been embarrassing at the end of the first half was a selection of American TV Themes and while you’d be right in thinking it’s a bit of a stretch for a film music concert, it actually ended up being one of the best bits of the night. Opening with Bill Conti’s brilliantly applied themes for Dynasty and Cagney & Lacey (which was rightly met with a very big cheer and applause come the end), the ensemble presented Mike Post’s dramatic opener for LA Law, before ending with Jerrold Immel’s infectious Western-tinged theme for Dallas. I was a fan of TV Themes long before I discovered film music – okay, I was about 10 – and these four themes always scored highly for me. I do believe Conti’s Cagney & Lacey is a contender for ‘Best TV theme Ever’, and it was a giddy childlike pleasure to see and hear it played by a full orchestra.

So you see there’s always something to get excited about at Filmharmonic, even if you think you know what to expect. The hall was very full as it always is and when our affable host Tommy Pearson – who did a fine job as usual – asked if anyone hadn’t been before, I was surprised to hear a great many voices shout out. That’s a wonderful thing and indeed another reason why the RPO roll out the classics annually, because there’s always someone who is yet to experience the power of live orchestral music, and live film music at that. More of the same next year – May 14th 2010! Don’t miss it.


You can experience the delights of the Filmharmonic repertoire on a newly packaged triple CD set, available from the shop at www.rpo.co.uk. Visit www.royalalberthall.com for information about the RPO’s next film music concert – ‘The Best of Bond’ – which takes place on Friday 13th November.

With thanks to Doran Harding, Debbie Wiseman and all at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Context conflab...

Watching BBC One’s The Apprentice is often an entertaining experience – though it has turned into something of a pantomime in recent years. Comedy aside, watching the show has – for me at least – become a weekly round of ‘Name that Tune’. Composer Dru Masters is credited as the series composer in the end credits, but there’s little evidence of his presence. Instead the producers happily seize upon an array of film music cues week in, week out.

Last Wednesday’s edition saw a host of filmic tones slapped onto scenes of ineptness, comedy and otherwise, with notable use of cues from Thomas Newman’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Murray Gold’s Doctor Who (Series 3 to be exact) and music Debbie Wiseman penned for a Bertolli commercial some time ago. Thomas Newman is a firm favourite it seems, as his music often appears in the series – particularly pieces from Wall•E, Little Women and the aforementioned Lemony Snicket adventure – while cues from Rolf Kent’s About Schmidt feature almost weekly.

Sir Alan’s stage is not the only platform to do such a thing, in fact innumerable BBC programmes use music from film to underscore documentary, current affairs stories and even drama from time to time. Last year’s delightful travel series Stephen Fry in America is a case in point too; the six-part series was treated to original music by both Debbie Wiseman and composing duo Molly Nyman & Harry Escott, who each did a fine job. While the episodes Debbie scored featured entirely her own music, the Nyman/Escott instalments were littered with film music references. The most bizarre instance saw Fry enjoying a hot-air balloon ride to the tune of Jerry Goldsmith’s ‘Main Title’ from Alien. Now we all know that score was a bug bear for the late composer, but I’m sure even he would have shivered at the thought of his composition being used in such a way. Or would he? Do composers care that much about what happens to their music after it’s finished, being that it is written for a commercial medium to begin with? I ran the question by Debbie Wiseman and she finds a positive spin on the issue:

“To be honest, once the music is delivered for the particular project, and everyone is happy with what I've delivered, I feel my job is done, and I'll move on to the next project. Of course, the music can sometimes show up on other projects, in a completely different context, but in a way that's a compliment...it means that the music was liked and used by another producer!”

The Alien example is surely down to temp-love of course… but when you have composers of that calibre scoring the entire episode, why would you need to insist on keeping the temp? Maybe the editor was a Goldsmith fan.

Back to The Apprentice though, and while I appreciate how it is much easier to simply cut and paste existing music onto a piece of footage (and I’ve done it myself many a time) rather than scoring it from scratch, couldn’t the producers have commissioned a set of cues which they might similarly chop and change around? I suppose it comes down to £’s and pence at the end of the day.

I am ranting about this a little, yes… But I can’t help but shudder whenever I hear music written for something so specific, chopped up and slapped onto an image that bears no kind of relation to its creation/inspiration. Perhaps a poll on the most random use of a piece of film music might be fun? What’s the weirdest context you’ve seen/heard a film music cue used in, outside of its original intent?

The Apprentice can be seen on BBC One at 2100GMT every Wednesday, followed by You're Fired on BBC Two at 2200.

With thanks to Debbie Wiseman.

One Hell of a Bite...

Debbie Wiseman's Lesbian Vampire Killers

It was on a relatively grey October morning that I ventured across the country to London; a familiar journey culminating in my arrival at the sanctuary that is Air Studios. Every time I come to Air I’m struck by the friendly atmosphere as people bustle about, many of whom visiting just like me. The cosy, and busy, refectory usually offers a glimpse of someone well known in the music world – last time it was Bryn Terfel, enjoying a bowl of soup. This time Nick Cave, looking somewhat Vampiric - which was apt as just across the way the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra were battling a pack of Vampires, Lesbian Vampires to be exact. As I found my way to the booth, through a cable-covered corridor, a familiar orchestral flurry met my ears – the music of Debbie Wiseman. Later on, back in the refectory, the whys and wherefores of Lesbian Vampire Killers is being explained to a somewhat confused Nick Cave during lunch – ‘so is it the Vampires that are Lesbians, or the Vampire Killers?!’

To set the record straight – so to speak – it is the Vampires who are Lesbians; the killers are none other than James Corden and Matthew Horne, a pair of comedy actors who have unwittingly made it into the public conscience here in the UK through a series of roles and shows – some rather better received than others. Lesbian Vampire Killers though, finds the duo on fine form as Jimmy and Fletch, two friends who decide to get away from it all and go hiking in rural Norfolk, only to find themselves prey for a pack of Lesbian Vampires bent on resurrecting their long-dead Queen.

Back to the scoring session and it’s a tough schedule, but Debbie Wiseman is in fine spirits as usual. Two orchestra sessions fill the daylight hours, while the evening session sees the lovely ladies of the Crouch End Festival Chorus offer their voices, supported by classical superstar Hayley Westenra.

As usual I’m blown away by just how much music can be delivered in such a short space of time – indeed the entire film was scored in one day – and it’s all marvellous stuff. This is not a small score, but a wildly lustrous affair with unrelenting set pieces, fluttering romance and just a dose of comedy. Shortly after I take my seat behind Debbie’s regular engineer Steve Price, she takes the orchestra through a barnstorming cue which supports a hilarious scene involving an axe. As soon as the orchestra lifts off, it’s obvious the director is loving every minute of it and we exchange amused and excited smiles as Matthew Horne burys the axe into the head of his recently bitten ex-girlfriend all to the tune of Offenbach’s rambunctious ‘Can-Can’ (“It’s gonna be called ‘My aXe Girlfriend’ if there’s an album” he tells me, grinning from ear to ear). Later I’m introduced to the enthusiastic director and I’m pleased to find out he’s a big soundtrack fan – and possibly the only other person to have purchased Jaws 3D when it was finally released on CD last year. ‘I bought two!!!’ he reveals.

Of course there has been an album and ‘My aXe Girlfriend’ is not only present and correct, but one of the highlights as well. Having been at the scoring session, heard the album many times and seen the film, I am well and truly adversed in the ways of the Lesbian Vampire – and so it was with a head full of music, snappy one-liners and images of all kinds of gore (not to mention silliness) that I chatted on the telephone to Debbie Wiseman to discuss the most controversial title in her CV yet.

Unusual title… you’d agree the most unusual in your filmography so far?

I think it’s fair to say. Yes it definitely is the most unusual; it’s certainly causing the most controversy and whenever I tell anybody I’m doing it they look shocked. Especially with Hayley Westenra fans, I think they’re all a bit shocked as well; but the thing is that, as I say to people, the film is a lot of fun, it’s not offensive in any way and it’s just fun and the title itself causes controversy and makes people laugh and I think that’s a good thing.

How did you become involved with the project then?

Well about two and a half years ago, believe it or not, I met with Phil Claydon the director and he had heard some of the music I had written for Arsene Lupin and we met in a pub and started chatting about the music. Phil, as you know, is a massive soundtrack fan and he’s been collecting soundtracks probably even as early as you have I would have thought - he started when he was about six or something. He got into soundtracks really young, started to collect them and really has a massive knowledge of every type of soundtrack, from the early stuff – he loves Bernard Herrmann, things like that – all the way up to modern contemporary stuff. So he was so enthusiastic about the music, the score and what it could be and how much fun it could be. It was brilliant because often directors like the music process because it adds such a massive boost to their film, but to have somebody that not only likes the process but absolutely loves it was just fantastic. He’d come over and we’d start work and he said ‘Oh I’ve been waiting to do this for ages!!’ It was just great to have that enthusiasm and to have that support for the whole thing was fabulous.

You say in the album notes that he actually had quite a lot to do with how the score turned out; what sort of things was he giving you in that sense?

Well there were temp track ideas, but also before we even started actually – before he started shooting even – Phil made up CDs for me of all the stuff that he loved and stuff that he thought might work. A lot of that was just for listening and just for fun, and not necessarily to inform the score, but it was just great because he had so much in his head because he’d been looking forward to it so much and been really enthusing about getting started, so he had quite a lot in his head as he was writing it and developing the script. So there was a lot there to listen to, which I did, and then when we started actually working on it, it was kind of starting again really because it takes on its own life and although there were some temp track ideas, most of the time they were just there as a rough guide for editing. So we just sort of started again and that’s the fun bit because, though he’s had a great knowledge about soundtracks and had this background of loving film music, it didn’t make it ‘it’s gotta be like this soundtrack that I love…’ which a lesser director would have fallen into that trap.

So from all that you’ve ended up with this quite massive score; it’s gothic, romantic and funny… It’s actually scored quite seriously on the whole.

Well I think in a way it’s funnier if you do that; the irony of it plays well against the craziness of the situation. I don’t think comedy music ever really works terribly well in a film; I think by trying to be funny with the music often you can kill the joke, because you’re telling the audience and nudging them to laugh, and if they’re not gonna laugh without music, it’s probably unlikely they’re gonna laugh with music. The gags have to work on their own really and so the music plays seriously against it and a lot of the time obviously it’s a crazy scenario, but they’re in terrible danger, the boys, they’re about to be eaten by lesbian vampires and that’s a not a nice thing to happen (laughs). So to play it seriously was absolutely the right thing to do, because they’re in terrible danger, even though James Corden keeps going on about ‘I know something really wrong is happening here, but can we just ignore it?!’ (laughs) So of course it’s silly and of course it’s a crazy story, but I think it’s done with such love and the way it’s delivered – the two boys are so funny it, they’re very endearing characters – hopefully people will go along and grab a big bag of popcorn and enjoy it; it’s that sort of movie.

Typically your music is very thematic; what sorts of things have you come up with this time?

Well I guess the main one is the Lesbian Vampire theme itself because that sort of threads through, so you hear that in the opening prologue. In fact that was the very first thing I wrote; I was coming up with the idea of having something that was quite gothic and quite epic, but that also could be very beautiful and small at the start, so you’re teasing it a little bit at the beginning of the film. I played it to Phil and that theme stayed virtually exactly the same as it did from day one, I hardly changed a note, because it just sat really well and a lot of other things grew out of that quite naturally so it was quite good that it was nailed quite quickly. A lot of the other stuff, certainly the horror stuff was harder to nail and I tried out a couple of different ideas on Phil. I think the themes for that were harder because we weren’t sure whether to go all out horror or whether just to keep it slightly more magical and dark. There’s a very fine line between slightly overdoing it and slightly not, and that was quite hard to get right. The comedy stuff was more straightforward, there are a few comedy scenes and lighter touches which were easier to get right, then the real sort of action/adventure stuff, stuff where they’re bashing down doors – or not able to bash them down – and the running and big chases in reels four and five, those also were quite hard to nail and I did two or three versions of lots of those cues before we ended with what we’ve got in the film now.

Does that become more motivic than thematic then, that sort of scoring?

Yeah and it was getting the kind of big, chunky sound that Phil was after – very rhythmic and quite driving – without it sounding… It’s quite difficult to explain actually. A bit like the film itself, it’s very full on and it delivers the gags and then it moves on; it’s very quick and fast paced. He directed it and always wanted it to feel a bit like an animation; you know the way in an animated film the characters come to life so directly and then it’s over and done with and they’re off doing something else, and that’s what he wanted with this. He wanted the music to do that as well, so it literally leaps from one thing to another without bothering to make a nice neat join; one moment you’re in action/adventure land, the next you’re in magical land, the next moment you’re doing all out horror, the next minute it’s comedy… He just wanted that to happen and not to apologise for it, so it was getting into that vein of writing – which is very different to anything else I’ve done, and it was getting that atmosphere right…

Is that slightly more ‘Hollywood’ in that sense then, to be creating such a relentless, almost wall-to-wall sound… It did strike me as such when I reviewed the album, whatever ‘more Hollywood’ actually means (laughs)

I think so, possibly… I was interested that you said that. I guessed what you meant was that, yes, the directness of it, the directness of the approach…

Relentless, colourful, but not too repetitive and turning on its heel as you say…

That was the intention, to try and keep it lively and to give it that sense of excitement where it needed it, keep the drama moving on. I mean that very last sequence where he picks up the sword and he throws it, you know he’s a Hollywood hero at that moment and so the surging brass there and all that sort of stuff was to really play that up. Here he is, Matt Horne kind of looking like a Hollywood film star, saving the day!

Helped along by you…

Yes (laughs)

You mentioned the brass, which is fantastic, and it’s of course courtesy of the RPO, along with Hayley Westenra and the Crouch End Chorus… It’s becoming a regular cast.

Yeah… It’s not kind of intended. I do like the sound of the RPO brass and they do make a really great sound, they play beautifully together and create big sounds with seemingly very little effort – though I know a lot of effort goes into it. Having Hayley on board was really because Phil always wanted a choir and when I met him for the first time two and a half years ago one of the first things he said was ‘I really want it to sound epic and I’d love to use a female choir…’ – so he already had that in his head. But the solo voice came kind of later on, because once I’d written some of the choral cues it seemed there were obvious moments where a solo voice could be used as well. That’s when I suggested Hayley, because I just love her voice ‘cause it’s so pure and I can use it like another instrument; unlike say if I used a modern opera singer who might use a lot of vibrato, or make more of the notes than you necessarily want in something like this. She sings what I write very purely and it comes across sounding hopefully just like another instrument, but beautiful…

She has an ageless voice I think…

Yes that’s true, that’s a very good point, you don’t really know. I played a CD of hers to Phil when we were talking about using a soloist and he just loved it. Luckily she was free and was able to do it, because she has a crazy schedule and we were really fortunate that she was able to do it.

Returning to specific moments in the score, one of the standouts is ‘My aXe Girlfriend’… What was the idea behind that, using the ‘Can-Can’?

Well that actually was one of the hardest ones, that scene with the axe and poor Judy turning into a vampire… We must have written it four, five or six different times, I mean I wrote all kinds of different things; I wrote a crazy waltz that went round and round and round, I did something very very fast like an animated/cartoon sequence. So we tried loads and loads of different things and I don’t know where it came from and I don’t know how it ended up on the temp track, but the full Offenbach ‘Can-Can’ was originally tried as a temp track along with five or six other things and it was kind of felt that it was so crazy and so silly that it really really worked. So one day Phil said ‘why don’t we just think about using a bit of the ‘Can-Can’ and see if that works…’ So what I did was start the cue – it’s not the ‘Can-Can’ at the start – and then when he grabs the axe and goes across the room with her it’s there and at that moment it’s absolutely 100% the ‘Can-Can’. You only probably hear about twenty seconds of it; it just comes out of nowhere and hopefully will make people smile… It was really tough to do that sequence, but in the end everybody just loved it.

So you’re appearing at Filmharmonic once again this year, will the Lesbian Vampire Killers be making an appearance too?

Yeah definitely, I’ll be doing a suite from LVK – I’ve already written it actually, or put it together more or less – not with Hayley unfortunately as she’s out of the country, but it will be just an orchestral suite of all the main themes. I’m also doing a new version of Tom & Viv, which is quite interesting because Tom & Viv was my first film score and this is the most recent, so I thought I’d put them together. So that’s what’s happening! It should be a good night…

You were working on a ballet… Is that still premiering in July?

Unfortunately the ballet got a little bit delayed. There’s a slight problem with one of the financers; it was a bank that went under because of the credit crunch stuff. So it’s just been slightly delayed; but it’s not a terrible thing and will only probably be delayed by a month. I am work-shopping Feather Boy (the musical with Don Black) with the National in July; it’s been re-written and re-shaped as a new full-length musical. We’ve just cast it with old people and young people now, so we have this more binary attitude to it; I’m really looking forward to that and hopefully we’ll take that on after the workshops.

So one last point on Lesbian Vampire Killers… Is there a favourite moment for you in your music?

That’s a really hard question ‘cause I’m so close to it now… I think for me it’s in the last reel, so on the CD that would be the one that’s actually called ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’. That track I really enjoyed, because it took quite a long time to get it to feel as good as it could feel and just writing that and sustaining that kind of momentum – for seven, eight minutes – right to the end as he throws the sword and saves the day. That whole sequence and the build to that was quite a challenge, so that was good fun and I guess for me that whole sequence was the standout bit.

When you sit down and watch the film, or any film you’ve scored, are you really tuned into the music and the memories of working on it?

Yes it is strange… Now I am anyway. In two years time I’ll be able to watch it much more dispassionately and will be able to sit back and just watch it as a film, because the intensity of what you’ve done and how hard you’ve worked on it, it’s just that bit further away and so you can become just a bit more objective about it. Also you’re there at every stage – I went to the dub on this, I saw the final mix and so I have seen it many many times. I love seeing it when it’s finished, because that’s your treat at the end you know, it’s there and it’s done and it’s finished and hopefully everybody is happy with it. That’s great and that’s why you do it, but I will be able to – in a couple of years time – as I do with stuff that I did when I was first starting out, not listen as such, but I can certainly watch a film that I’ve done two or three years ago and not really think about the music. I’ll have the memories of it, but it will be much less in the front of my mind and I can sit and have a nice time just watching the film.

Lesbian Vampire Killers is in cinemas in the UK now, with the album available from Silva Screen Records (www.silvascreenmusic.com)
My thanks to Debbie Wiseman, Phil Claydon and everyone at Air Studios.