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The New Soundtrack (2014) - Scoring film: The New Soundtrack Interview with Neil Brand

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Abstract

Neil Brand occupies a unique position in the world of film music. He is a composer, creating new orchestral scores for classic early films, notably Anthony Asquith’s Underground (UK 1928) and the silent version of Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail (UK 1929). He is also the premier live accompanist for silent films. He regularly discusses film scores on BBC Radio 40s The Film Programme. Neil is also a successful and prolific radio dramatist. His play Stan, on the death of Stan Laurel, originally broadcast on Radio 4 (and starring Tom Courtenay), was made into a television film for BBC4. His recent BBC 4 series, The Sound of Cinema, is perhaps the most wide-ranging look at film composition to be broadcast on British television. The New Soundtrack caught up with Neil at the Royal Festival Hall London for an extended conversation. The interview ranged over the process of making the series and the insights gained from the composers who participated. As well as talking candidly about what appears in the series, he also gave intriguing glimpses into the wealth of material that did not make the final cut.