Mayday! Not so Silent Movies…

May 9, 2012
Soundtracks
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This Sunday , 13 May 2012 – 3:00pm / Hall Two Kings Place

The Not So Silent musicians return to daringly perform spontaneous soundtracks to the world’s greatest silent films. No rehersals, no cheating and no safety nets; a combination which results in very happy musicans having a lot of fun onstage!

There will be no rehearsals. None of the musicians will have watched the films in advance. Improvisation before a live audience will begin as the film rolls… there must be a catch somewhere? Who would want to put themselves through it?

This is who!
Rafał Łuc accordian
Jamie Morrison drums (Noisettes)
Zak Eastop amazing horn wunderkind
Philip Sheppard cello (UNKLE, Jeff Buckley)
Elspeth Hanson violin (Bond)
Mark Neary bass guitar (The Hours, Baxter Drury)
Guy Pratt bass (Pink Floyd, Roxy Music)
Julia Thornton harp & percussion (Bryan Ferry, Solus3)

BOOK HERE!
This Sunday , 13 May 2012 – 3:00pm / Hall Two Kings Place

New string tracks

May 1, 2012
Soundtracks
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Old meets new!

Things have been crazy here… Most of the projects I’m involved in are super secret which is a bore because I can’t wait to tell you about them… Needless to say I’ve been in Abbey Road again with the wonderful LPO, as well as hopping across to Monterey to see friends at the EG conference in California… more on that later though.

Here are two new string tracks I recorded with Elspeth Hanson – the very super violinist… One’s based on La Folia (aka La Follia), the other is based on the Mozart A major violin concerto.
It’s the first time I’ve used an Apogee Ensemble interface – and I’m blown away by the difference it’s made. It also makes a splendid resting place for my treble viol…!

Liquid architecture

April 4, 2012
Soundtracks
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There’s an oft quoted phrase that claims that architecture is frozen music. I like inverting that – music is liquid architecture. However, the blueprint above seems to have melted a little too much.

I just scanned an arrangement to email to a band and one of the sequences got a little fried as you can see. However, I’d like them to record it like this and see what happens…

A dead cert for the Classic FM playlist I reckon.

The shipping forecast goes to China…

February 17, 2012
Soundtracks
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There’s a lovely article here about the shipping forecast, which features contributions from BBC Radio 4 friends Zeb Soanes and Kathy Clugston. Here’s a snippet;

“It’s part of the fabric of this intangible thing called Britishness,” says Soanes.

“Just like red telephone boxes, Wimbledon, the chimes of Big Ben, the smell of cut grass, scones and jam.”

And it is probably not something that would make it onto air in every country of the world.

“It is eccentric, though you only realise when people come from other countries – they are completely baffled by it,” says Clugston.

They mention the fact that the forecast made its way into the Beijing Olympics closing ceremony within a piece I wrote called ‘This is London’.
Here’s Zeb featured in that track along with Elspeth Hanson and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Not So Silent Movies… with Tim Minchin

February 6, 2012
Soundtracks
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I am very happy to announce that Tim Minchin will be joining our band for a Not So Silent Movies… evening gig at Kings Place, Hall One on June 29th 2012.
If you’ve never heard of Not so Silent Movies… how can I explain what you’re in for..?

Well, I LOVE silent film, not the mawkish sentimental stuff (no names mentioned) but the slapstick, zero CGI, sharp as a nail comic timing of geniuses like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd.

I also love playing & writing soundtracks with my friends… but not the arduous process of rehearsing. Our lovely band provides a live soundtrack to these incredible films… but there’s a tiny catch;

  • There are no rehearsals.
  • There’s no sheet music.
  • None of the musicians will have watched the films in advance.
  • Improvisation before a live audience will begin as the film rolls…

What self-respecting musician would want to put themselves through it?
Well, I’m very happy to say that the band lineup for June 29th is as follows;

  • Tim Minchin – guest pianist
  • Elspeth Hanson – violin & electric violin
  • Julia Thornton – harp
  • Pip Eastop, Horn, trumpets & Phatterboy
  • Geoff Dugmore – drums, teaspoons & llama toenails
  • Mark Neary  – Pedal Steel guitar
  • Pete Furniss – clarinet, bass clarinet, sax & recorders
  • Guy Pratt – Bass
  • Philip Sheppard (me) – cello & electric cello

If you’d like to know more.. watch this clip of one of our earlier gigs:
Tickets & further info from here…
Let us know if you’re planning to come!
best
Philip Sheppard x

Philip Sheppard’s new ballet

January 12, 2012
Soundtracks
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I’ve written a new ballet score for the wonderful Ballet de l’Opéra national du Rhin. It’s choreographed by Thomas Noone and is titled Many. I’m simply thrilled to have worked on this. Here are some excerpts from the piece: If you like it do download – you can do that by clicking on the files… but drop me a note to say hi! If you like my music I have some albums on bandcamp and iTunes. Here’s a press release from Faber Music;

In recent months, the name of UK composer and cellist, Philip Sheppard, has been very much in the media: a result of him having being commissioned to arrange and orchestrate all the national anthems for the London 2012 Olympics. He’s now recorded them all (205 in total!) with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. However, Sheppard has also found time to complete a 30-minute commissioned dance score for Barcelona-based choreographer, Thomas Noone.

It’s premiered in Mulhouse by Le Ballet de l’Opéra national du Rhin on 22 January 2012, later transferring to Colmar and Strasbourg (9 performances in total). Sheppard has an impressive track record in writing for dance and theatre, having worked with Akram Khan, Sylvie Guillem and Juliette Binoche in recent years. In January 2012 he joins Khan and Guillem for performances of his 2006 score to ‘Sacred Monsters’, in the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Paris.

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