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Danger Waltz

Well OK, so its not really a waltz at all. It just started out that way, as as the piece evolved, the title didn't. But then I really am not that great at coming up with titles for finished pieces. Maybe it should be called "I wish I worked for Media Ventures" or something like that... lots of big loud filmy orchestral themes. I was a big fan of Media Ventures. Crimson Tide OST - absolute quality! Even the Pirates Of The Caribbean score I liked a lot. There's a version by the City of Prague that has grown on me a bit, missing out as it does some of the sonic inconsistency and synth-trickery of the original film version.

I digress. This piece has basically 3 sections - a slow section in 3/4, (yep, thats where the waltz bit came from, although I'd like to see anyone try and waltz to this. Maybe you could just about do it...) and then a bit more bombast in 4/4. Some jollity in 12/8 rounds it all off.

The Neverland Waltz

A while back I wrote a series of songs for the local Am-Dram version of Peter Pan. At some point I decided it would be a good idea to orchestrate one of these songs for full symphony orchestra (as it happens, this was used for the closing credits on the DVD of the show).

It's a big orchestra aswell, an enlarged woodwind section and a big sound.

In the Neverland Waltz Peter is trying to convince Wendy to come away to Neverland and have adventures. It's slow and gentle, as he implores her to come, and then fast and lively when he describes all the amazing things in Neverland (this is the Waltz part).

Piano Sketch #4

I remember hearing someplace the 5/4 time signature from Mars from Holst's Planets described as unrelenting. I like that idea.

This piece is similar in idea, with a brooding 5/4 driving it on all the way through. Written for a solo piano and handful of eclectic instruments, I reckon this is a well formed a piece of music as I have written.

The Spanish Themes

Back in 2004, I travelled to South America and while there swotted up on the stories of the Inca Empire and the Spanish Conquistadors that led to their demise. Why is it, I wondered, that noone knows what happened to the Incas?. Then it hit me, of course - there's never been a Hollywood film made about it.

In a moment of inspiration, I decided I would fill the void and bring the dramatic events to light myself. After learning the art of screenwriting, I set about telling the story....

A big snag though - screenwriting is tough!. It was really pretty difficult to create an interesting narrative and remain faithful to history at the same time. And so the screenplay idea was shelved.

That said, of course, having a screenplay is a perfect opportunity to write the music to go with it. (and I did have a finished screenplay for a while, until I scribbled all over it and through it in a cupboard.)

I wrote lots of themes for lots of characters, and then once I'd bagged my copy of my Garritan Symphony Orchestra I decided to arrange them as a suite - the intention being to get in all the Spanish and Incan themes. And this suite of themes for the conquistadors was what I finished - I hadn't had chance to complete it before I moved on from Overture to Sibelius and started afresh on the next suite, with a much larger orchestra.

Still, if you listen closely, you should be able to hear all the themes for the Spanish - which means plenty of adventure, greed, betrayal, and the two main characters, Francisco Pizarro and his one time best friend, but ultimately his arch enemy, Diego De Almagro.

The Empire Of Four Quarters

Yeah, the Empire of Four Quarters, that was the title of my non-screenplay. And this is the suite of themes that I mentioned before - arranged for full orchestra with a huge woodwind section (four flutes, two piccolos, bass flutes, alto flutes and 4 oboes) to try and reflect something of the music of Incas (who had simple wood and even some brass instruments). I'd have liked to write for Quena or Zampona, but despite having purchased both in Ecuador I have singularly failed to make any progress at all in leanring them. The Quena, in particular is very impressive, and when played by a real pro in Bolivia to my ear did not sound a million miles away from a concert flute. (speaking as a would be flautist myself).

The Empire Of Four Quarters was the title of my screenplay, based around a loosish translations of Tawantin Suyu, the Quechua name for the Inca Empire. So wrapped in these 3 minutes you should find most of the missing themes from my earlier piece, including the stately waltz for Atahualpa, the last Inca.

Piano Sketch #1

Well, it's a crap title but the piece at least is quite interesting I think. After spending a bit of time studying writing for Piano, I started to thrash out some sketches for Solo Piano. It's quite tough to write very complicated music for an instrument that you don't play, and as such I probably always end up write up writing music that's well within the ability of an average pianist. If its something that as a shoddy untrained pianist I can almost play, then that'll be OK....

This piece is probably about daily life. It's always changing in a fairly restless way, and there's lots of variety, including 6 different time signature. There's fast and slow, and after it all the whole thing seems to repeat, but in a different way.

But I'm sure there's a better title out there somewhere.

The Tin Trumpet

As you might have guessed from the title, this is a piece for solo clarinet. At least thats how it ended up, it started life as an attempt to work out how a m7b5 chord could fit into a piece. After all, Brian Wilson and Gershwin had done it, so I need to be able to do it too! Anyway it turns out it resolves very nicely to a major chord one semitone below. (The tonic, in this case).

I think its probably a subconscious reference to the Tin Pan Alley songwriting style, subtle yet complicated chord progressions.

Dreamstorm

You know dance music was pretty big back in the day. 1999 was a very good year for dance music, in fact I don't think it's reached those heights since. Gouryella, the Dutch Invasion, Lock N Load... even Alice Deejay was massive then although I bet no would will admit that now. Every Trance tune I hear today still appears to be stuck in the shadow of 1999.

At the time I spent a lot of time writing and producing that kind of music, long hours locked away in my budget studio (read as souped-up PC) perfecting racing arpeggios and huge breakdowns. A little software synth called Vaz+ was the cornerstone, I seem to remember. Anyway I thought it a good idea to include the best of my tracks from that era here, so that the spirit of 1999 is not forgotten. I swear, for a time I thought this track was my greatest achievement in life :) Viva 1999!

Sketch #9

Both Sketches 9 and 10 are really music for solo flute with Piano Accompaniment.

I actually learned the flute to a passable standard (about Grade 5) when I was young, and so I find it quite easy to write for as its an instrument whose strengths and limitations I know probably better than any other. The violin is still a tricksy little beast to understand, for example :)

That said I did give up the lessons in my teens, with hindsight a large part of my failure to progress I attribute to the somewhat boring nature of the music I had to learn, flicking through my old books the other day it seems mostly I was studying very technical pieces by obscure classical period composers. Good for technique, I'm sure, but crap for my enthusiasm.

The other thing to contend with is that lots of solo flute music is crammed full of scales and arpeggios that don't seem to add a great deal. Without the slow, theres not much contrast for the fast, methinks. That said, I'm a big fan a Cecile Chaminade's underplayed Concertino (found on this enjoyable album of French Flute Music . Its not just virtuoso "show off" music, theres some real emotion there too.

The last thing is sillyness and fun. When I was learning, I think I would appreciated more sillyness in my pieces. That something I tried to bring to this piece.

13

This was really an experiment at putting orchestral sounds and spacey-synth sounds together. But what I ended up with was two minutes of trailer music.

Here's how to listen to this. Imagine you're in a huge cinema, waiting for the film to start. A trailer comes on for an upcoming sci-fi film. There's a slow introduction... big powerful phrases fade onto the screen "The fate of the world may lie in one man's hands" and stuff like that. We're introduced to the fantasy world in which the drama is set.

And then the snare drums roll, and we're off.. teasing clips of adventure and conflict flashing before your eyes faster and faster.... our heroes are in peril!

Make a note to yourself, must go and see that film.

Welcome To Persia

This is a song I wrote for a local drama group's production of Aladdin. It's actually the song that opens the show. I like this song because it includes some interesting chord changes and crazy lyrics (like rhyming "Arabia" with "maybe-you").

A lone figure delivers a gentle introduction. The curtain goes back, the chorus appears and belt out the chorus. A peddler steps forward and speaks to the audience.The chorus belt out the tune again. Big finish!

Widow Twanky - Laundry Makes The World Go Round

That previous song might have been my favourite from the Aladdin show, but this one seems to be everyone else's favourite.

It's a waltz time verse with a straight ahead 4/4 chorus. The angle of the song that is though although she may be derided for being a simple laundry woman, she is when of the many under appreciated women who actually keep the world turning.