Tell Me The Score

I'm joined by musician, composer and owner of the hugely successful company Spitfire Audio Christian Henson. Chris really is one of the good guys in our industry. He is dynamic and positive about the work he does whilst offering some fascinating reflections on the creative process. In this episode we cover everything from childhood- being brought up by performers is something we share- right through to how he works when writing on to creating one of the largest globally used sample libraries. He is one of a kind.

I visited Nitin at his studio to talk about his life from growing up in Kent right though his hugely varied career.We talk everything, including all the stuff we're not supposed to: politics, racism, religion.Please subscribe and review if you can, but mostly, just enjoy listening to this fascinating musician talking about everything that has shaped his work and opinions.

I’m joined by composer, cellist and deutsche grammophon artist, Peter Gregson.We got to know each other working together as musicians and bonded during lockdown when covid meant that recording studios closed their doors. We both have studios at home which meant that we could collaborate on projects both of Peter’s own and for other composers. We both share an interest in the technical side of recording seeing the technonogy as an inevitable extension of our own instruments. A way to extend the possiblities for ourselves as musicians.His latest album, Quartets 2 and 3 is out on 11th of november 2022, please see the link at the bottom of the show notes to hear itWe met at Air Studios in London where Peter has a writing room and where I spend a lot of my working life.Read more about Peter’s life and career here:https://petergregson.co.uk/aboutListen to his latest album here:https://petergregson.ffm.to/quartets3and4.OWE

Today I talk to British composer Errolyn Wallen. We hear about her unusual childood, moving from Belize to Tottenham and her time studying in New York. Errolyn is at the forefront of the British contemporary scene and maintains a busy professorial schedule, sharing her skill and talent with the next generation of musicians and composers at Trinity College, London and at Cambridge University. Here is a playlist with a selection of some of her works. Explore and enjoy: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0cOgmLa0sRaV7e7Qz5XP0o?si=IS3g01mvQiiO1vy8oPdbqg

On today's show we hear from LA based British film composer John Powell whose output ranges from the Bourne series of films directed by Paul Greengrass right through to Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and the Star Wars franchise. We talk about his early life, what inspired him, his time collaborating with Hans Zimmer and Harry Gregson-Williams up to his opera titled “An Englishman, An Irishman and A Frenchman”, co-written with Gavin Greenaway and orchestrated by Emlyn Singleton which he recently came to London to record.

David Arnold is one of the UK's most respected film and television composers. A Grammy and Emmy winner best known for his scores for Independence Day and 5 James Bond films, his output is huge and wide-ranging. In this second part we talk about working with Don Black, John Barry, scoring the 2012 Olympics and the Royal Albert Hall's 150th Birthday celebrations and much, much more.

David Arnold is one of the UK's most respected film and television composers. A Grammy and Emmy winner best known for his scores for Independence Day and 5 James Bond films, his output is huge and wide-ranging. In this first part we talk about David's childhood, how he got started in film and what drives him.

Richard Stilgoe is one of Britain's best known songwriters. As a lyricist and musician he has been involved in some of the biggest hits in the history of musical theatre (Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Starlight Express). Alongside his creative successes he is also heavily involved in charity work through the Orpheus Foundation which he founded, as the chairman for the National Foundation for Youth Music and as the co-founder with his brilliant wife Annabel of the Alchemist Foundation. He is a familiar face on television having appeared on 'That's Life' with Esther Rantzen, 'Nationwide', 'Stilgoe's On' and as a regular on 'Countdown' for many years.Presented by Tom Pigott-SmithA playlist containing all the music we talked about and some we didn't but should have done is here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6NyZuotQ3MBFuPffNuGhkO?si=0c65b51029a34d33Read more about this extraordinary man here:https://richardstilgoe.com/index.html