Composing / Arranging / Songwriting

These days, any decent synth or sampler offers plausable orchestral sounds — but there's much more to creating believable arrangements for orchestra than realistic samples. Keyboardist/composer Dave Stewart offers some guidance, passes on some advice from pros, and explains how orchestral samples were used to create an arrangement for the latest Geri Halliwell single.

British-based Australian Barrington Pheloung is well known for his prolific film and television work, including the theme music to TV's Inspector Morse. One of his most challenging recent projects was the soundtrack to the biopic of Jacqueline Du Pre, Hilary And Jackie...

By the time you read this, he could be clutching his first Oscar for his soundtrack for the historic blockbuster Elizabeth. David Hirschfelder discourses with Richard Buskin about the art, science and pyschology of scoring for the moving image.

When it comes to emulating acoustic instruments, the modern orchestra probably represents the ultimate challenge. Philip Meehan shows you how to take it on and win.