Trying something different

 It's been a while since I posted, I was so focused on writing music for Mary's Dowry Productions, we had a backlog of films which we wanted to finish and release and we finally did it!  I wrote three film scores in a row for Hildegard of Bingen, Saint David Lewis and Saint Dymphna.  They gave me three opportunities for different styles of music and I was taken back 19 years to my first semester of college where we were asked to compose something in the style of Hildegard of Bingen!

In 2005 when I started my degree in music composition for professional media at Northbrook College, I had not heard of Hildegard of Bingen but we started right at the beginning before covering all styles and progressions of music and it was my favourite class.  I was just getting to grips with Cubase for the first time and doing a crash course in VST sounds.  With my student loan and grant I purchased Symphonic Choirs and I was the only one in my class to really study how to make the choirs speak.  I used the choirs to realistically speak words and for my piece I had them sing in plainchant one of Hildegard of Bingen's poems.  It was this that I dug out recently to use in my music score for the film after all these years!

Saint David Lewis gave me an opportunity to fuse some Welsh and Historical styles and Dymphna was something simple and uplifting.  The films are now available on DVD and Instant Video.

MUSIC CD ALBUMS

After all of this and 18 years of Mary's Dowry Productions I realised that I was drawing a lot upon similar styles and sounds and had become entrenched in writing music as an underscore for film.  My last album was VALLEYS which was 10 years ago.  I have produced a lot of Holy Spirit calming tracks which are easy for me to do but what I started out with at aged 14 is folklore, folk, Celtic style which I would compose at the piano and later on the Clavinova.  I miss these days.  I wrote 3 tracks for VALLEYS at the piano, transcribed them and then worked then into multiple instrumental scores on the computer.  They are so much more layered and interesting.

A few months ago I put everything away and decided that I wouldn't compose anymore, I was completely worn out.  However, this week I have turned everything back on and gone for something completely new.  I am into wildlife, conservation, climate right now and so I asked my sister for some nature titles and am going for a more fairy tale, nature style and really utilise my Forest Kingdom sounds.  Furthermore, I have dug out my manuscript paper and I shall be writing them at the clavinova so as to go back to my roots!

GOING DIGITAL

I still send out CD albums regularly but I am hot on making everything available digitally.  Yesterday I counted which albums are on Spotify, iTunes etc and am making the rest available.  I am not making music soundtracks available digitally but the Holy Spirit series, the Ancient Fusion series and the "others" such as Autumn, Christmas and future ones.  I'm very excited about this new direction! Check out my music on #Spotify 

Saint Catherine of Siena - New Film!

 After a much needed break, we decided to catch up on outstanding productions as well as new ones in the pipeline so really knuckled down to it and tried to finish St. Catherine of Siena.  In preparation, I decided to write some tracks that I could draw upon using my new samples from DARK ERA, NADA and ANCIENT ERA PERSIA.  They were perfect and so inspiring!

I decided to work specifically on Holy Spirit of Compassion album, then draw upon these album tracks if needed for the film.  I got writing whilst my sister finished the script and started editing the film.  What a lot of work!  This film was supposed to be 25 minutes but it expanded into an hour long film with the whole history of the papacy.  This gave me a lot to draw upon.  Some of the new samples have not just soundscapes but pulsing and rhythmic ones which were so handy.  One of my favourites was the instrument "Ancient Lyre".  I used this fused with piano, fiddle and cello.

It was not until I started actual work on the music score this week that I realized just how perfect these tracks were!  I started the score with a build up with strings and soundscapes, we also decided to have a lot of scenery breaks and scenery with text from St. Catherine's letters.  This gave me lots of opportunities to really get into the music.  Some breaks I used moving cello and strings, others soundscapes with Cantus monks singing, others with some nice Irish flute.  There is real variety in this film.  I was especially inspired by the sequences of modern people, works of charity, I used a track from Holy Spirit of Solitude where I got the Nykelharpa to work very well and the whole passage builds to an inspiring climax which made me love the Church and be so honoured to be writing music for projects that promote the work of the Church and the saints.

This film is now available on DVD and Instant video and I shall be writing the last 4 tracks for Spirit of Compassion to share on CD.

Saint Catherine of Siena DVD
Available from www.marysdowryproductions.org 

You can watch this trailer and listen to some of the music:

Holy Spirit of Hope

 I got so distracted with various things that I realized I never posted a picture or track listing for my latest album "Spirit of Hope".  I finished Spirit of Hope and Autumn albums several months ago and have since then been taking a break.  The next music project I have been working on is Mary's Dowry Productions' Margery Kempe film and I managed to find some PERFECT tracks for the film from Spirit of Hope, freshly prepared with the film in mind and it worked out really well, I tried a lot of different things and I also used a very old track from KINGDOMS album which is great and so perfect.  Here is the finished album:

The album is available on CD and also the usual Digital Outlets like Spotify and iTunes.

No trailer as yet but I hope to put something together to give some samples of the tracks in this particular album.

Here is the track listing:

Track 1 - Those who hope in the LORD will Renew their Strength (4:25)

Track 2 - Everything is possible for one who Believes (3:53)

Track 3 - The hope of the Afflicted Will Never Perish (4:52)

Track 4 - May Your Unfailing Love Be With Us, LORD, Even As We Put Our Hope In You (4:30)

Track 5 - As For Me, I Will Always Have Hope (4:23)

Track 6 - In His Word I Put My Hope (3:56)

Track 7 - May You Overflow With Hope By The Power Of The Holy Spirit (6:01)

Track 8 - I Press On Toward The Goal To Win The Prize For Which God Has Called Me Heavenward (5:17)

Track 9 - Do Not Fear, For I Have Redeemed You; I Have Summoned You By Name; You Are Mine (4:28)

Track 10 - You Will Be Secure, Because There Is Hope; You Will Look About You And Take Your Rest In Safety (4:05)

Visit www.marysdowryproductions.org for more info! 

Holy Spirit of Hope Music Album

 For several months I have been writing tracks with a view to using them in music scores for upcoming productions.  I have used them for the past three films and that has given me 8 tracks which I have set aside for Holy Spirit of Hope music album.  Today I took time out especially to write 2 more tracks so that I could finish this album and was very excited about it.  Halfway through I remembered that I will soon be writing the music for Margery Kempe so for track 10 I loaded some very ancient instruments such as Koblikzek, Nykelharpa, Lute, Psalter and used these as inspiration for the final track with a view to being able to use it in the film.  I am pleased to say that I have completed yet another album and also designed some of the artwork!  Once I hand the tracks over to my sister she will make me a nice trailer with music samples so watch this space.  It's nice coming right after the release of AUTUMN.

Music to Chill by - AUTUMN ALBUM now on Digital Outlets

Today my latest music album AUTUMN is available on all digital outlets.  Watch this trailer to be inspired and then head on over to Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, TikTok, Deezer and more! 

AUTUMN instrumental music album

 Yesterday, after a big break, I got back onto writing my AUTUMN music album with the final 2 tracks and I managed to complete them in an afternoon, thus finishing the album!  Today I have been working on the artwork and managed to release this new album on CD.

Autumn is a magical time of year when the leaves fall in an array of beautiful colours and mushrooms and toadstools spring up in the most unexpected places. The air is filled with the sounds of crunching leaves, crackling campfires and diverse new birds visiting for a short while. This new instrumental album captures these sounds and atmospheres through ten original tracks using instruments such as Celtic harp, guitar, erhu, ancient flutes, soundscapes, piano and so many more as well as subtly incorporating sound effects such as crackling fires, forest birds and thunder and rain to really encapsulate this wonderful time of year.

Track Listing:

1. Ode to the Fungi

2. The Forbidden Forest Trail

3. Smoking Campfires

4. Garlands of Forest Fruits

5. Rain on the Pumpkin Patch

6. Eddies of Autumn Leaves

7. Walking the Dark Woodland Pathways

8. Whispers Through the Decaying Trees

9. The Scent of Burning Pinecones

10. Toadstools and Earthstars

AUTUMN is the first in a NEW series beginning 2021 trying out something slightly different, something more free where I could incorporate more sound effects and freedom of style.  The titles were the inspiration for the pieces and I tried to make the tracks warm and atmospheric, encapsulating the many visual delights of autumn as well as the unique seasonal quirks such as pinecones, campfires, pumpkins and mushrooms.  It gave me a lot of ideas to work with, I've always been fascinated by mushrooms and saw this year some puffball earthstars for the first time and they were so otherworldly I used soundscapes and 'faery sounds' in this final track.  NOW AVAILABLE ON CD through www.marysdowryproductions.org 

AUTUMN Music Album & St. Ralph Sherwin

 The past couple of weeks I decided that I needed to write something completely new and without pressure, something completely free.  My sister suggested that I write a seasonal album called "Autumn". This really inspired me as I love the idea of falling leaves with their colours, mushrooms etc.  I asked her to write me 10 track title names and I would use these as the basis for my writing.

When I write, I start with a picture or an idea and set up my basic project in Cubase.  I have some standard instruments like harp, piano, strings, soundscapes, guitar.  Mostly I briefly decided on a 4/4 or 3/4 time or something else and tempo and then I'll hit record and play in starting with usually either harp or piano or strings and record in something for about 30 seconds.  I will go back to this, quantize it and normalize any velocity that's been played in way to loud or quiet, get it sounding nice, then I'll hit record again, change instrument and play in another tune or accompaniment over the top of what I have recorded.  I do this about 5 times with bass, strings, voices or whatever I feel the piece needs and I gradually build it up.

When I started AUTUMN the first title was "Ode to the Fungi" so I used mostly guitars and stringed instruments which I switched about.  I like to change instruments or bring in new ones after a minute or so.  I was told once by my college tutor "overkill on the oboe" and he suggested switching the lead instrument regularly.  This really helped and I am always aware of the need to bring in something new.  My favourite samples are by Eduardo Tarilonte and I draw upon his soundscapes a lot.  For this album I was able to use Forest Kingdoms more as it's not a "Holy Spirit" album or a religious contemplative track or film.  I felt I could do what I wanted so I used forest soundscapes with subtle sounds of fantasy beasts and birds.  I used sound effects like crackling fires and rain.  It's been really fun and this album captures the atmosphere of the season well.

I certainly enjoyed the last 2 tracks, tracks 7 and 8 that I have written this past week "Walking the dark woodland pathways" as I was able to write something darker and more sinister using the piano and strings and some creaking trees soundscapes and wind.  

I am gearing up to work on "St. Ralph Sherwin" music score, it's been a few weeks since I finished Anna Maria Taigi film score which was so epic I have not been able to go back to it through sheer exhaustion.  I decided to write a couple of "pre-tracks" for St. Ralph Sherwin and ended up writing 3 in a row yesterday which was great.  Finally I was inspired to use Highland Pipes which, if used well, can be so moving - like in Braveheart film.  

I started with subtle soundscapes to give an atmosphere of depth and expanse, then I used the pipes with a lot of reverb to "call out" over the "landscape" that I was picturing.  To this I added a fidule and it gradually built up from there with strings and bass and a bit of subtle nylon guitar to keep in moving.  I fell in love with this piece but had to stop for dinner and just managed to finish it.  Every hal hour or so I would record 30 seconds of video and music and tweet it on my Twitter account.  There was a lot of response to this and people got to hear what I was working on.  Today I've set up the St. Ralph Sherwin film and hope to incorporate this piece into the film as it hit that emotional spot.  It will mean at some point in the score, introducing the pipes and bringing the themes around to this kind of epic thought - probably towards the end where you know the character is going to prison and be executed.