Category: Uncategorized

  • Keanu Reeves Brawn Soundtrack

    Keanu Reeves Brawn Soundtrack

    Keanu Reeves with thje Brawn F1 car

    Philip Sheppard’s soundtrack to the Keanu Reeves series; ‘Brawn: The Impossible F1 story’. Music score from the new Disney+ Hulu series

    Philip Sheppard’s soundtrack to the Keanu Reeves series; ‘Brawn: The Impossible F1 story’. Stream here

    About Brawn and Keanu Reeves

    In a Hollywood-worthy narrative that Keanu Reeves insists had to grace the tv screen, the saga of Brawn: The Impossible F1 Story unfolds against the backdrop of Formula 1’s tumultuous 2009 season. The symphony of triumph and tribulation crescendos with the documentary’s pulsating soundtrack, a creation of Composer Philip Sheppard, perfectly attuned to the highs and lows of the series now streaming on Disney+.

    In the annals of motorsports lore, the departure of Honda from Formula 1 in 2009 stood as a seismic event, leaving Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello without a team. Enter Ross Brawn, a maestro of managerial prowess, who orchestrated a takeover of the team for a mere £1, an audacious move that set the stage for a tale that few believed could unfold favorably.

    Brawn’s audacity paid off in a dazzling display of resilience and skill. Against the odds, Jenson Button claimed the world title, and Brawn GP secured the constructors’ championship, transforming what seemed like a eulogy into an exultant ode to triumph.

    Keanu Reeves, our tour guide into the inner workings of that fateful season, takes us on a riveting journey through the lens of a four-part documentary series. Brawn: The Impossible F1 Story peels back the layers of disruption preceding the season, unveiling the meteoric rise of Button, who, despite the early-season turmoil, clinched victory in six of the first seven races in 2009.

    The climax of the season, aptly set in Brazil, witnessed Button’s dramatic ascent from 14th to finish fifth, securing the championship in a heart-stopping finale. Button’s quote resonates like a poignant soliloquy in the ears of BBC Sport, “I could have finished eighth and still clinched the title at the last race by finishing fifth or sixth. But I wanted to finish on a high – prove to yourself as much as anyone else that you’ve got that killer instinct.”

    The heartbeat of Brawn GP’s success lies in their innovative approach to Formula 1’s new regulations of 2009. While others saw problems, Brawn GP saw opportunities. Episode one of the documentary delves into the intricacies of their strategic gamble, focusing on a ‘double diffuser’ that ultimately passed the scrutiny of the FIA despite protests from rival teams.

    Bernie Ecclestone, the sage of Formula 1, opines in episode two that interpreting rules has been a timeless art, and Brawn, a seasoned architect of Michael Schumacher’s triumphs, wielded his rulebook wisdom with finesse.

    The narrative weaves through Brawn’s journey from orchestrating Schumacher’s victories to the Honda tenure, sealed with a symbolic pound coin – an artifact now sacredly carried by Honda executive Hiroshi Oshima.

    The revelation that Brawn GP operated on a shoestring budget adds a gritty subplot to the fairy tale. Button, reflecting on the challenging times, notes the camaraderie forged in adversity but can’t help but rue the financial constraints that often left the team “running out of bits.”

    The Music

    Philip Sheppard’s musical score, an epic accompaniment to the series, resonates through the twists and turns of the Brawn GP saga. It is a testament to a team that, against all odds, turned a symbolic £1 into a priceless championship triumph.

  • Shut Your Eyes – Philip Sheppard’s new album

    Shut Your Eyes – Philip Sheppard’s new album

    Shut Your Eyes – Philip Sheppard’s new Album: I am thrilled to announce the release of my latest album, “Shut Your Eyes.” It’s been a while since my last album! I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to share my passion for postclassical music and electronica with you through this collection of seven tracks recorded with my friends at Abbey Road Studios. Each piece is an expression of my love for music and my unwavering dedication to my craft. This album was created with my friends at Audio Network – and if you sign up… you can download it from them for free!

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    Shut Your Eyes

    One of the highlights of the album is the titular track, “Shut Your Eyes,” which has been described by critics as a “mesmerizing piece” and a “lullaby that feels like undulating waves across a sea of sleep.” To capture a sense of ebb and flow, I asked the musicians to breathe extra deeply while recording this track. As musicians, we are often inclined to hold our breath in..! The result is a hauntingly beautiful playing that I hope will take you on a journey to the deepest recesses of your subconscious.

    Rain Begins

    Another favourite track is “Rain Begins,” which has been lauded for its “gentle ode to a pastoral landscape that incorporates an electronic bouncing pattern in the background.” This fusion of genres is just one of the ways that I strive to push the boundaries of classical music and create a unique sound that is entirely my own. This trip hop vibe is deeply inspired by my work with UNKLE.

    Walking in the Lodge

    “Walking in the Lodge” is piece that tries to capture the feeling of awakening to the smell of jasmine and honeysuckle on the morning breeze. The use of long glissandi tunes, created through experimenting with writing solos entirely from slides, adds an uneasy ethereal quality to the track.

    The Dock On The Lake

    “The Dock On The Lake” is an attempt to paint glass-like water disturbed by the smallest ripples in an inspiring landscape. The use of a cycle of 5ths in the harmonic structure is thought to provoke a positive physiological reaction in listeners, which I hope makes this track the perfect antidote to a stressful day.

    Komorebi Sunburst

    “Komorebi Sunburst” takes its inspiration from the Japanese word for the effect of sunlight on – and through – leaves. This delicate and intricate piece showcases my love of soundscapes, and nature at balance with the weather.

    Amber Sky

    “Amber Sky” was inspired by a hike I took in Montana and captures the colour of twilight as day turns to night, with a melody designed for dreams.

    I Give You This Earth

    Finally, “I Give You This Earth” offers a contemplative journey through the rotating night sky, dotted with satellites and little meteors. I’ve been fascinated with space since working with the Apollo astronauts on my first movie – In the Shadow of the Moon

    in conclusion….

    I hope that “Shut Your Eyes” is a serene and contemplative experience for you. As one reviewer put it, “put on your headphones, close your eyes, and let the music take you away.” I hope this album will transport you to another world and leave you feeling refreshed and inspired.

    For those interested, the album is available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. [Links to Philip Sheppard Shut Your Eyes Album] Thank you for taking the time to read about my latest work, and I am deeply grateful for your support.

    See below for a live performance of part of the album.

    In short: Shut Your Eyes – Philip Sheppard’s album – Multiple Emmy and Grammy-nominee Philip Sheppard shares a hybrid orchestral set spanning moods from pensive to optimistic. Joining a mix of plucked and legato strings are synths, piano, harp, electronic patterns and minimal tuned percussion.

  • Ukrainian National Anthem Sheet Music Free Download

    Ukrainian National Anthem Sheet Music Free Download

    I wanted to share my orchestral sheet music here for the Ukrainian National Anthem in pdf form. Here it is along with my recording with the London Philharmonic Orchestra

    Please feel free to download and share and perform under Creative Commons free licence. Philip x

    Here is my recording with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
  • 1971 on PBS Streaming now!

    1971 on PBS Streaming now!

    1971 scored by Philip Sheppard is streaming on PBS here.

    In 1971, long before Edward Snowden’s revelations of NSA surveillance, a group of citizens broke into a small FBI office in Pennsylvania, took every file, and shared them with the public. Their actions exposed the FBI’s illegal surveillance program of law-abiding Americans. Now for the first time, these anonymous Americans who risked everything share their story publicly.

    In the past several decades, whistleblowers have helped shape the nation’s history, from Deep Throat exposing President Nixon’s Watergate scandal to Edward Snowden’s revelations about the NSA’s surveillance. But long before the dawning of the digital age, one group of citizens risked everything when they uncovered illegal government spying programs.

    The FBI, established in 1908, was for 60 years held unaccountable and untouchable until March 8, 1971, when The Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI, as they called themselves, broke into a small FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania, took every file, and shared them with the American public.

    After the break-in, the group sent the files to journalists at the Washington Post, which published them and shed light on the FBI’s widespread abuse of power. These actions exposed COINTELPRO, the FBI’s illegal surveillance program that involved the intimidation of law-abiding Americans, and helped lead to the country’s first congressional investigation of U.S. intelligence agencies.

    The activist-burglars then disappeared into anonymity for forty years. Until now. Never caught, these previously anonymous Americans — parents, teachers and citizens — publicly reveal themselves for the first time and share their story in the documentary 1971. Using a mix of dramatic re-enactments and candid interviews with all involved, the film vividly brings to life one of the more important, yet relatively unexplored, chapters in modern American history.

    Soundtrack/ score by Philip Sheppard.

    Stream 1971 on PBS Independent Lens.

     

    Film Credits

    A Film by
    Johanna Hamilton

    Directed and Produced by
    Johanna Hamilton

    Edited by
    Gabriel Rhodes

    Produced by
    Marilyn Ness
    Katy Chevigny

    Executive Producers
    Julie Goldman
    Abigail E. Disney
    Gini Reticker
    Laura Poitras

    Cinematographer (Interviews)
    Kirsten Johnson

    Cinematographer (Recreations)
    Andreas Burgess

    Original Music
    Philip Sheppard

    Written by
    Johanna Hamilton
    Gabriel Rhodes

    Associate Producer
    Danielle Varga

    Animation and Motion Graphics
    Dave Tecson

    Additional Photography
    Neil Barrett
    Nicholas Blair

    Sound
    Judy Karp
    Mark Maloof
    John Zecca
    Nejc Poberaj

    Recreations Unit

    Recreations Producer
    Maureen A. Ryan

    Production Designer
    Markus Kirschner

    First Assistant Director
    Sara Neuffer

    Production Manager 
    Brian Birch

    Art Director
    Shawn Anabel

    Casting Director
    Adine Duron

    CAST
    Peter Gregus: Bill
    Lauren A. Kennedy: Bonnie
    Jonathan Joel Brennan: Bob
    Rich Graff: John
    Daniel S. Taylor: Keith
    Dennis Brito: FBI Agent
    John Isgro: Custodian
    Kerry Malloy: FBI Agent
    Brian P. McCarthy: #9
    Matthew Smith: Citizens’ Commission
    Marilyn Ness: Citizens’ Commission
    Danielle Varga: Citizens’ Commission
    Paul Darren: Security Guard

    The filmmakers do not know the three unidentified burglars or the ninth person who withdrew from the break-in team.
    Any similarities that may exist between any of them and the actors in the reenactments are purely coincidental.

    Costume Designer
    Eniola Dawodu

    Key Hair/Makeup Artist
    Vera Stromsted

    Gaffer 
    Nicola Guarneri

    First Assistant Camera
    Alex Peterson George Alvarez

    Production Coordinator
    Jacey Heldrich

    Assistant Editors
    Eric Rockey
    Nora Ballard
    Michael Peterson

    Archival Clearances 
    Nan Wakefield

    Legal Services
    Karen Shatzkin

    Post Production Services
    Final Frame

    Digital Intermediate Online Editor 
    Owen Rucker

    Digital Intermediate Colorist
    Will Cox

    Digital Intermediate Producer
    Caitlin Tartaro

    Audio Post Provided by 
    Gigantic Post, NYC

    Sound Designer and Re-Recording Mixer
    Tom Paul

    Dialogue Editor
    Sam Edelstein

    Sound Effects Editor
    Andrea Bella

    Foley Artist
    Les Bloom

    Foley Mixer
    Carl Shillito

    Bookkeepers 
    Phil Lane
    Kelley A. Trotter

    Archival Materials
    All in the Family ©1972 Tandem Productions, Inc.
    Episode “Archie and the FBI.”
    Fight of the Champions © 1971
    Director: Art Fisher Producers: Neal Marshall & Art Fischer
    Interview with former FBI agent Terry Neist by Sam Green
    © The Free History Project
    ABCNEWS VideoSource and WPVI
    Critical Past
    FBI ©1965 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
    Historic Films
    KPIX-TV
    KRON-TV
    KYW-TV
    Pat McGrath
    National Archives and Records Administration
    NBC Universal Archives
    Nixon Library
    Oddball Film & Video
    San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive
    T3Media
    Temple Urban Archives
    UCLA Film & Television Archive
    WHAM-TV
    WPA Film Library
    Anne Flitcraft
    Associated Press
    Baltimore Sun Media Group
    Chicago Tribune
    Courier Post, Cherry Hill
    Carl Stern
    Delaware County Times
    Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester, NY
    The Raines Family
    Keith Forsyth
    Sarah Davidon
    Corbis
    David Kairys
    Delaware County History
    Getty Images
    Greg Moore
    Haverford College
    Life Magazine
    Los Angeles Times
    Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
    LSUS Archives and Special Collections
    New York Times
    Newsday
    Philadelphia Inquirer
    Saint Joseph’s University Archives
    Theodore Hetzel Photograph Collection
    Swarthmore College Peace Collection
    Anthony Giacchino Camden 28 [Motion Picture] Collection
    Swarthmore College Peace Collection
    Temple Urban Archives
    University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections
    Washington Post
    Washington Star

    Music
    “I Spy (For the F.B.I.) / Foxy Devil”
    Luther Ingram & The G-Men‎
    Smash Records Re-released in 1971 following the revelations of the Media Burglary

    “A Whole New You”
    Written by Enion Pelta-Tiller
    Arranged and Recorded by David Tiller and Enion Pelta-Tiller
    Taarka, 2012

    Special Thanks
    The Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI
    Sarah Davidon
    James Kirkpatrick Davis
    Paco de Onis
    Kate Doyle
    Henry Dunn
    Mike German
    David Kairys
    Betty Medsger
    Laura Poitras
    Thom Powers, Ian Olds, and Rachel Rakes
    Max, Theo and Layla van Zyl
    Paul van Zyl
    Ben Wizner
    Pam Yates

    Fiscal Sponsor
    Women Make Movies, Inc.

    Executive Producer for ITVS
    Sally Jo Fifer

    Funding provided by
    The Ford Foundation JustFilms
    Candescent Films
    Fork Films
    Open Society Foundations
    Sundance Documentary Film Program
    New York State Council on the Arts
    The Fledgling Fund
    San Francisco Film Society
    Richard and Marianne Hamilton
    The Fund For Constitutional Government
    Vital Projects Fund
    Steward R. Mott Foundation
    Michael Hirschhorn and Jimena Martinez
    AMJ Foundation
    Susan Parker and Alan Belzer
    Keating Hawkins Gift Fund
    Puffin Foundation
    David Rudovsky
    Dr. Edward Herman
    Rick Cummings
    Josh Markel and Eva Gold

    1971 is a co-production of Maximum Pictures LLC and the Independent Television Service (ITVS) in association with Big Mouth Productions, Motto Pictures, and Fork Films, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

    This film was produced by Maximum Pictures, LLC, which is solely responsible for its content.

  • Kitty Nigiri – a new VR game

    Kitty Nigiri – a new VR game

    The cat in space, sushi catching, laser puzzle solving, fireball dodging, kitten saving, chopstick wielding, flying VR game your cat’s been dreaming about. Use your wits and dexterity, and prove yourself a potential champion…..
    This brilliant VR game has been created by my Hatch friend Jacob Ellenberg and his team. It’s an extraordinarily different task writing music for an immersive environment….

    From the official blurb:

    It’s not about you. Sure, you want to use your wit, agility, Dynatron Shield and Cyberite Chopsticks to survive The Chef’s Deathtrap Dinner Theater. You’d do anything not to become the cuisine du jour, Feline Nigiri.

    But it’s not about you. It’s about saving thousands of other hastily evolved cats, enslaved in gladiatorial games aboard the 1950’s leisure cruiser, the Starliner Fairbrother, a generation ship overdue for the promised land of Alpha Centauri. More importantly, it’s about saving the one you love, LeChat, held hostage to rein in your rebellious tendencies. Today is the day Kitty steps up, the day Kitty flips the script, the day Kitty rises as a champion, a hero, and a savior.

    Kitty nigiri is a VR Danger room puzzler that challenges your wits and dexterity in its trials.

    Hours of training that will stretch your mind, tickle your senses and get your heart racing. You play as kitty the engineered hybrid cat thrown into a life or death battle of will and cunning.

  • Moon Machines Released

    Moon Machines Released

    Very happy to announce that after many requests, I have finally been able to release the Moon Machines soundtrack.

    It’s initially available on Bandcamp here.

    Here’s an extract from the series

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0llpEor_YAY&w=560&h=315]

    I have a subscriber system there too – you’ll automatically get a number of my albums as well as new releases the moment they come out. I’m currently mixing my latest Abbey Road album and it will appear there first.

    Philip Sheppard Moon Machines TV series soundtrack download

    Chris Riley

  • Light my Darkness for Trey Ratcliff

    Light my Darkness for Trey Ratcliff

    Here’s a track from my recent album ‘Somewhere along the edge’83203aec-277b-402d-a0be-086dc560275d-2225-000004ceaac2b9df_tmp

    My friend the photographer Trey Ratcliff is a master of making poetry from light. His images are a constant source of inspiration for me. See his work here.

    This track is dedicated to him.

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/281390332″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

  • Legion of Brothers Premiere – Sundance Film Festival 2017

    Legion of Brothers Premiere – Sundance Film Festival 2017

    jason-final-legion-still

    I’m delighted to present an extract from my new soundtrack for Greg Barker’s latest movie Legion of Brothers. We’ll be premiering at Sundance in a couple of weeks.

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/288934779″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

    This is the 10th year in a row that I’ve had a film featured at my favourite festival and marks a continuation of my work with Greg.

    Here is the official blurb:

    Immediately after the September 11 attacks, the United States government initiated a secret war in Afghanistan.

    Fewer than a hundred Special Forces soldiers, building a coalition with the rebels of the Northern Alliance, faced off against the Taliban and succeeded in driving them out of power by the end of the year—with minimal coalition casualties and without conventional, large-scale military operations. Despite this victory, the U.S. and its allies soon became mired in a seemingly never-ending war.

    Acclaimed filmmaker Greg Barker (Manhunt, 2013 Sundance Film Festival) expertly reveals this unexplored story, drawing on unprecedented access to several of the Green Berets who played pivotal roles in these covert missions.

    Driven by a sense of justice, these soldiers left family members in the dark as they set off to serve as Afghanistan’s liberators, only to confront the tragic realities of war.

    Reflecting on their experiences—and on the brothers-in-arms they lost—these elite soldiers offer at once a riveting celebration of valor and a sobering, cautionary tale.

    • Director Greg Barker
    • Producers John Battsek Greg Barker Peter Bergen Tresha Mabile
    • Editor Robin Schwartz
    • Director Of Photography Frank-Peter Lehmann
    • Composer Philip Sheppard
    • Executive Producers Amy Entails Vinnie Malhotra
    • Supervising Producer Courtney Sexton
    • Co Producer Diane Becker
    • Associate Producer Tyler Gurd
    • Production Coordinator Ann Rogers
    TIME & DATE LOCATION TICKETS
    • 2:30 PM
      SAT 1/21
    • THE MARC
    VIEW ON SCHEDULE (T8788)
    • 12:30 PM
      MON 1/23
    • REDSTONE CINEMA 1
    VIEW ON SCHEDULE (T9259)
    • 8:30 PM
      SAT 1/28
    • PROSPECTOR SQUARE THEATRE
    VIEW ON SCHEDULE (T9261)
    • 6:15 PM
      SUN 1/29
    • THE GRAND THEATRE
    VIEW ON SCHEDULE (T8625)
  • When I spot someone on the phone during a show…

    When I spot someone on the phone during a show…

    I love performing and speaking at C2 Montreal.

    This year I was about to lead into introducing Andre Agassi onstage when I spotted a lady playing with her phone. I decided to make her a bit of a star for the day.

  • Compose Yourself – music composition game

    Compose Yourself – music composition game

    Philip3yrsOldI recently invented a game concerned with creative music play called Compose Yourself, and I’m really excited to share it with you.

    I’m pretty sure that given the right tools, anybody can become a composer. It’s an easy thing to say, but actually I’m sure It’s true!

    Some of the greatest musicians I’ve worked with, from the classical world, the film music world & the rock music world haven’t been able to read a note of music. It hasn’t stopped them from having full, successful and exciting musical lives.

    When I was very young I really wanted to make music.
    Actually, to be very honest with you, I just wanted to make lots of noise, and music seemed the best way to do this without getting into too much trouble.

    At the age of three, I decided I was going to play the cello. It sounds like a cliche, but I heard a cello on the radio and fell in love with it. I actually remember the moment very clearly. It was the Elgar cello concerto played by Jacqueline Du Pré.

    When I saw pictures of a cello and realised that it was much much bigger than a violin I was in love. That was it. I was going to play the cello…

    That photo above is me on the day I had my first lesson. Looking back on it now I realise I was so lucky that my teacher also happened to be a kindergarten headteacher. She really knew how to make learning fun, and more importantly she knew how to play with music. Believe me, in the UK in the 70s, classical music was very very serious.

    Not for fun. Nope…

    The photo shows me playing a piece of music that she wrote and taught me in my first lesson. The piece was called Charlie and Fred and it was a simple thing that she’d written about her two pet Cavies. Most importantly, it was a piece of music about something I cared about, and it was written by someone I knew. Looking back on it now I realise that this was a really unusual way to teach music at the time, and it totally worked for me.

    I loved playing her piece. It sounded amazing to me. I would play it for as many hours as I could. At no point didn’t occur to me that I was practising…
    (Actually the way I played it at the time, it probably sounded horrible, but it’s still one of the most exciting moments of my life!).

    I remember being so excited that I could make abstract noises that painted pictures in my mind, and to be honest, I still get very excited about this.

    I’m now a film composer with more than 30 movie scores to my name, and I now get to paint pictures with music all day. I can’t begin to explain how much fun this is, but I can share the feeling a little bit.

    This is the reason I invented Compose Yourself, so kids can make their own music – music that paints wonderful, colourful pictures in their minds.

    Music can take kids on wild and exciting musical journeys, and they can make music about absolutely anything. One of the children I was teaching in Harlem number of years ago wrote to me after the composition project we were running.

    I’ll never forget what he said,

    ‘… I like writing music. Music makes me feel important…’

    Remember:

    Kids have no idea that writing music is difficult (until adults point it out), so let’s keep it easy for them! This game is a powerful set of musical building blocks. The moment children make up their very first tune, they become Composers.

    Here’s a little film about the game:

    .Being a composer is like having a special power. A power that can make people dance, sing and cry (in a good way).
    Now, that’s a real superpower….

  • Philip Sheppard live at Abbey Road

    Philip Sheppard live at Abbey Road

    Philip Shepard at C2MTL - Photo by  Jimmy Hamelin
    Philip Sheppard at C2MTL – Photo by Jimmy Hamelin

    Here’s what I did after a long day of recording in Abbey Road one night last week. I’d been conducting the orchestra all day, and my brain was in another place.

    I was speaking a language far from English, and things were swimming in front of my eyes. Rather than start heading home, I decided to decompress a bit.

    There’s a deeply unusual documentary I’m writing at the moment, so I put the film on, Gordon, my fantastic engineer set everything to record and I got ready to play along. In the end, I ended up doing a 59 minute solo take on my cello – which is something of a record for me… It was a bit surprising seeing as my arms were really aching from conducting all day.

    Anyway, here’s the result. (Don’t worry, it’s not 59 minutes).

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/127153238″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

  • Philip Sheppard scores Star Wars trailer

    Philip Sheppard scores Star Wars trailer

    Star wars celloI’ve always loved Star Wars, so was rather delighted when Disney & JJ Abrams requested to use some music I’d composed for the new Star Wars Force Awakens trailer/ teaser (behind the scenes) film as revealed at Comic Con in San Diego last night.

    The piece they used is a reworking of a track I wrote called ‘Epiphany’. It’s now called The Force Epiphany, and it’s on an EP I’m releasing called Strange News from Another Star. The wonderful images with the tracks are by my friend Trey Ratcliff.

    [bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3723737049 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=63b2cc tracklist=false artwork=small]

    Here’s the trailer:

    Philip Sheppard 2015

  • Joining Cirque du Soleil

    Joining Cirque du Soleil

    PhilipSheppardCirqueCelloNo, that is not my normal cello…

    Last month I travelled to Vegas to join Cirque Du Soleil for a special One-off show as a featured musician along with the wonderful John Legend.

    The whole show was in aid of One Drop, and amazing charity established by Cirque to help those in need find water supplies.

    It was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and I’m writing more about this very soon.

    Here’s one of the pieces I played.[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/204219833″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

  • Human Universe Soundtrack

    Human Universe Soundtrack

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/53995543″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]Here’s a preview of my score for Human Universe featuring Professor Brian Cox, which debuts tonight on BBC2.

    We’re going to release the soundtrack on iTunes, Spotify and many other digital music platforms shortly.

    If you’d like to receive a one-off email when this is released, just leave us a short message below naming your favourite track.

    You’ll get a free download of one of my other film scores by way of thanks.

    And, you’ll really be helping us, as the most popular track will become the first track on the album.

  • A Boat to Nowhere

    A Boat to Nowhere

    Inspired by one of my friend Trey Ratcliff’s images, here’s ‘A Boat to Nowhere’ to be heard soon on the BBC ‘Human Universe’ soundtrack.

    This was recorded at Abbey Road in August. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/164243601″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

  • Human Universe

    Human Universe

    Trey Ratcliff - Death Valley - Mysterious Rocks - low-X2One of my tracks from the forthcoming series ‘Human Universe’ presented by Brian Cox, Featuring Evelyn Glennie with the ESO & Philip Sheppard. The image is another stunner by my dear friend Trey Ratcliff (who’s probably in the desert at Burning Man right now…).[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/164089022″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

  • Petra Theorum

    Petra Theorum

    Here’s a new track from my score for Brian Cox’s new series ‘The Human Universe'[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/163874307″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

  • Le Grand D

    The_Open_RoadThe title track of Le Grand Depart show, launching The 2014 Tour de France at Leeds Arena. Track by Philip Sheppard. Free download here.
    Image courtesy of Trey Ratcliff. More of Trey’s amazing work here.[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/156825373″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]More news & tracks here…

    Press release:

    British conductor and composer Philip Sheppard will lead the orchestra and chorus ofOpera North at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Tour de France.

    The ceremony will take place at the Leeds Arena this Thursday, and will precede the Yorkshire Grand Départ.

    Sheppard, who has previously arranged and composed music for both the London 2012 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, will perform new work inspired by the sounds of cycling.

    The orchestra will also accompany Yorkshire band Embrace, who is headlining the event.

    Sheppard has scored 25 feature films, and as a cellist, has worked with the likes of David Bowie, Jarvis Cocker and Jeff Buckley. He is widely-known for using electronics in conjunction with classical music.

    The ceremony takes place on 3 July.

  • Meltdown Philip Sheppard live at the Royal Festival Hall pt2

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/154592059″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]So.. here’s the next extract from the set I played as support for UNKLE at the Royal Festival Hall – opening for James Lavelle’s Meltdown Festival. This is my live cello-looped version of my orchestral piece ‘Final Day’.

    gearHere’s the bizarre gear that goes into my gig bag along with the cello.

  • Meltdown UNKLE Live at the Royal Festival Hall

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/154364936″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]I played as support last night for UNKLE at the Royal Festival Hall opening for James Lavelle’s Meltdown Festival. Here’s my live cello-looped version of ‘Glow’ by UNKLE, a track I first worked on way back when we were recording Never, Never Land…

    Here’s another track from the set.

    setlist

    I’ve been a long-term collaborator with James Lavelle since being invited in to the Never Never Land sessions with UNKLE to play acoustic and electric cello. Since then, I’ve performed on numerous tracks as a string player, and have been a co-writer on many album tracks.

    My first impression of James and his working method has remained intact, save for the fact that over time he’s become a dear & trusted friend.

    James is an alchemist.
    He instinctively knows how to throw disparate personalities & elements together, resulting in beautiful dissonance and restless confluence.
    At the time of the first sessions I was working as a classical cello professor at the Royal Academy of Music and James blew the doors off my recording life, giving voice to my wilder sonic personalities, encouraging me to stretch the potential of my musicianship.

    I remember one day working on Beethoven sonatas at the Royal Academy, then getting in a cab up the road to a North London studio with James, Keith Flint, dry ice, strobes and a license to let rip in an all-night recording session. That’s living the dream…

  • Amazing Grace live at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/151169992″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

    This is a live version of ‘Amazing Grace’ from my recent gig at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival. It’s recorded using an 18th Century cello and a loop pedal. Hope you like it.

    These are my favourite verses from the hymn.

    Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
    That sav’d a wretch like me!
    I once was lost, but now am found,
    Was blind, but now I see.

    The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
    The sun forbear to shine;
    But God, who call’d me here below,
    Will be forever mine.

  • NN Fest – Final Day Live looping

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/150891804″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]This is my closing piece from my set at the NNFest on 22nd may 2014 playing support for Toumani Diabaté. It’s recorded using an 18th Century cello and a Boss RC300 loop pedal with a DPA cello mic. Hope you like it…

  • Voyager’s message in a bottle

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/169148725″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]The Voyager Golden Discs are gramophone records which were attached to both Voyager spacecrafts, which were launched in 1977.

    The discs contain a huge array of music and noises from Earth, as well as biometric information and scientific knowledge.

    Inscribed on the discs are the words; ‘To the makers of music – all worlds, all times…’
    Everything in my track is built from manipulated sounds from the gold discs attached to the Voyager space probes.
    Hope you like it.

  • Solo set at James Lavelle’s Meltdown with UNKLE

    meltdown-2014-james-lavelle-lineup

    Very very excited to announce that I’ve been invited to perform a solo set to kick off James Lavelle’s Meltdown 2014.

    It’ll be a solo cello looping set in the Royal Festival Hall before I join the UNKLE line-up (my long-time conspirators) in the second half.

    Nice article re the other artists here.

    Hope you can come. It’s going to be different. In the meantime let me share a previous Meltdown experience with Jeff Buckley that changed my life entirely…

  • Exile – the Deer Valley mix

    Here’s a new version of ‘Exile’ from ‘We are the Giant’ which has just opened at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. The reception for the film has been amazing and one reviewer has called the movie ‘… a devastating marvel…’ which has given all of us involved a great lift.

    The view from where I’m based out here is so outrageously beautiful that I decided to annoy a number of passing skiers yesterday afternoon with my cello in the snow… If you were on the Jordanelle Blue Run in Deer Valley you have my apologies. The film above is the result…

  • Remembrance

    The Parihaka children's choir who resited an armed militia
    The Parihaka children’s choir who resited an armed militia

    I’ve just finished mixing the soundtrack for We Are The Giant, my latest score composed for Greg Barker. The film is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival next week. Our other films together, Sergio and Manhunt also received their first outings in Park City Utah. (Update – there’s a free track to download in this post)

    I saw the rough cut of the film only fairly recently and knew I had to be involved.

    I was going to say that this film is a call to arms, but, the overwhelming modus operandi of the Arab Spring protagonists portrayed is more of a call to militant peace.

    A few years ago I was in Sundance when Banksy was premiering his Exit through the Gift Shop, and taking the opportunity to add some serious value to the walls of certain businesses along Main Street, Park City. I was excited when I spotted this early one morning:

    Banksy at Sundance - photo by Philip Sheppard
    Banksy at Sundance – photo by Philip Sheppard

    He springs to mind as his now infamous image of a rioter hurling a bouquet would be an appropriate logo for the film. In one extraordinary sequence of Greg Barker’s movie, a tidal wave of protesters brandish long stem flowers, not batons or guns unlike the brutal thugs sent to disperse them.

    The Arab Spring is a collective, rather misleading term for a groundswell of national protests that have emerged since 2010. It’s no coincidence that this time period correlates to the emergence of direct social messaging, a truly efficient way of negating the deathly hand of state propaganda.

    This capacity to network peer-to-peer has also developed in tandem with phones becoming powerful recording devices, meaning that atrocities are now documented at a mere arm’s length, making them harder to suppress and easier to disseminate.

    This means that some of the stories portrayed in We Are The Giant make for difficult viewing. In fact, this is a score I’ve had to compose when my kids are far from my studio. I want them to know that this is happening, but they’re just too young to see it in such graphic detail. Unfortunately many of the young people in the film have no such luxury of choice.

    This isn’t a film about politics, it’s a film about us.

    People like you and me.

    People with kids, with friends to see, with school runs, with household bills, with exams, with mobiles, with meals to cook, with to-do lists, with all the pressures and joys of normal life – except the prospect of imprisonment, torture and death are just as normal and domesticated.

    I urge you to see this film. It’ll probably make you angry, but will leave you with hope in the fact that some good people do great things.

    I’ve gone for a radically different approach to building music for this movie, it just didn’t seem appropriate to use a conventional orchestra for such raw, real footage. I built lots of new instruments from found sounds, and approached the whole score as a single piece of audio design which morphs from harmony and melody into cascading walls of noise.

    This a riot sequence:[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/128478525″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

    This is a sequence describing the historic standoff between the Māori Parihaka people and a huge armed militia in the mid 19th Century. The soldiers were dumbfounded by a children’s choir being the only line of defence that confronted them.[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/128478131″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

    This is a sequence about exile – loneliness & separation (You can download this track if you click through):[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/128478762″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

    Sometimes music & flowers are the best weapons…

    People who made this film happen:

    Director: Greg Barker

    Producers: John Battsek, Julie Goldman, Greg Barker

    Co, Producer: Razan Ghalayini

    Line Producer: Diane Becker

    Cinematographers: Muhammad Hamdy, Frank-Peter Lehmann

    Editor: Joshua Altman

    Sound Mix: Monkeyland Audio

    Composer: Philip Sheppard

    Plus: major support from PrettyBird.

    Philip Sheppard – new tracks available from here.

  • Some advice to young musicians

    Some advice to young musicians

    This Sunday is Remembrance Day here in the UK. Here’s a piece I wrote last week.

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118816851″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

  • A Wave for Dr Wave

    Wave_by_Philip_SheppardHere’s a graphic score for a dear friend of mine whose name is Dr Wave…

    [With apologies to Hiroshige!]

  • Acme Inc… Or how not to use a Ukelele

    The Acme Keyboard Telegraph
    The Acme Keyboard Telegraph

    My writing & recording studio is a library. This is not only because I draw great inspiration & solace from books – I mean you’ve never seen so many wartime Penguin Orangebacks in a row – but also because a wall full of books has great acoustic properties – it dampens the sound and (to my ear at least) bounces back a lovely diffuse quality in the instrument being recorded.[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/102458411″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]I have a shelf in front of my music stand which has stacks of everything I’m currently reading.

    I’ve recently become somewhat obsessed with the work of Chris Ware, and a copy of his Acme Novelty Yearbook is permanently open for inspiration.

    Studio bookstack
    Studio bookstack

    Whilst much of his work deals with melancholia & failure, there’s a healthy dose of influence from the adverts in early American magazines, as well as repeated references to Ragtime

    .

    This piece is a concerto for a single chord on a ukelele written after reading a chunk of this amazing book. Hope you like it…

  • Study of Life

    Darwin_sketch[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/99216818″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]Study of Life – a new track by Philip Sheppard. (solo clarinet by Pete Furniss)

    I’m rather obsessed with other people’s notebooks. This image is an extract from Darwin’s notes concerning the variations in evolution of finches – core research upon the way to his extraordinary theories of evolution.

    I’d like to think that if he’d had a computer (maybe something crafted by Mr Babbage…) he would still have laid everything out in ink, on fine paper first.

    It’s so much easier to think in ink. Do you have a favourite journal?

    I love Darwin’s ‘I think’ at the top of the page…

  • Radiomovies Roundup

    It’s been a busy couple of weeks chez Sheppard with some new releases…Movies

    I wrote & recorded the string parts for Queens of the Stone Age album title track, Like Clockwork. This track also featured my mate James Lavelle. The album went straight in at number 1 in the charts (which was gratifying).

    I’d also written for a very left field band called These New Puritans who I rate really highly. They divide critics as they’ve an uncompromising approach to music & performance. Their new album Field of Reeds came out last week. One of my heroes, Michael Van der Aa also worked on the album – great company to keep…

    In the world of moving pictures I’ve been finishing composing the score to a film I can’t talk about as it’s horribly secret, but it’s involved creating a sound world involving glitchy electronica and paranoid soundscapes (no change there then..!).

    I’m also featured as a soloist on the forthcoming Jason Statham film, Hummingbird, scored by my friend – the genius Dario Marianelli. It’s a violent yet sensitive film – and I’m providing some disturbed noises on electric cello for some of the more psychotic sequences. I drank a lot of Earl Grey in the studio that day…

  • Love Marilyn Premieres on HBO

    mm23Monday June 17th at 9pm on HBO sees the network premiere broadcast of Love, Marilyn. I wrote the soundtrack for this lovely film, and have compiled a playlist of some of the tracks:

    [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/6612291″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

    More about the broadcast here.

    Featuring F. Murray Abraham, Elizabeth Banks, Adrien Brody, Ellen Burstyn, Glenn Close, Hope Davis, Viola Davis, Jennifer Ehle, Ben Foster, Paul Giamatti, Jack Huston, Stephen Lang, Lindsay Lohan, Janet McTeer, Jeremy Piven, Oliver Platt, David Strathairn, Lili Taylor, Uma Thurman, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. Written and directed by Liz Garbus; produced by Stanley Buchthal, Liz Garbus and Amy Hobby; executive producer, Anne Carey; executive producers, Olivier Courson, Harold Van Lier and Enrique Steiger; edited by Azin Samari; cinematography by Maryse Alberti; music by Philip Sheppard; co-producer, Julie Gaither.[wpvideo RcSINxwA]