StringArranger

Gorgeous strings creations!

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163 Reviews (160 Verified)
StringArranger on SoundBetter

You've found arranger & composer, Steve Turner. From my London studio I write & record beautiful, emotive arrangements for everyone from unsigned singer-songwriters to international artists as well as films, docos, commercials & sync. I put my heart and soul into every track, provide highly realistic mock-ups, and include unlimited revisions.

The best way to appreciate what I do is to read the reviews from my wonderful clients and catch my audio and video showreels on my website/ YouTube/ SoundCloud: stringarranger [no gap], then come back here to discuss.

I write detailed scores for live section recordings (which I facilitate), or for restricted budgets, use my skills as a keyboard player & programmer, with my own unique method, using the best VST samples played with feel & emotion to achieve highly realistic results.

I make my compositions a vibrant part of the track; innovative, contemporary and distinctive yet unobtrusive. I achieve this through beautiful counter-melodies and distinctive harmony, making the strings sing out whilst sitting comfortably in the mix.

Stylistically versatile, I've arranged for genres from pop, soul and R&B to gospel, country and folk, urban and rock, and even Indian & African

My background? I've been a busy session musician, touring with Kylie, Allsaints & ELO, and concerts with Jay-Z & Beyonce. As a producer I've remixed Mary J Blige, Brownstone, Luther Vandross and Michael Jackson

Although my career has mostly been in the pop domain I was classically trained on piano and violin. With an ear for both pop and classical I'm able to achieve a uniquely fresh sound.

I look forward to writing you a stunning arrangement!

Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Steve Turner (3)
  • Judge Jules + Boy George
  • Armanos
  • Que Pasa
  • Lefteris Christofis*
  • Lefteris Christofis Band
  • Clusterfunk
  • Various
  • Uno Clio Featuring Martine McCutcheon
  • A.G. Allstars
  • Various
  • Armanos
  • Various
  • Tom Jones & Cerys*
  • Que Pasa
  • Lee Griffiths
  • Mad Doctor X
  • Kylie*
  • Freestylers
  • Various
  • Kylie*
  • Kylie Minogue
  • Jocelyn Brown
  • Dash Berlin
  • Clannad
  • Hjalte Ross
  • autolemy
  • ABC
  • Kylie*
  • Freestylers
  • Kylie*

163 Reviews - 25 Repeat Clients

Endorse StringArranger
  1. Review by Karim N.
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    It’s great to work with Steve ! He is passionate about music and takes care of all the little details.

    He remixed for me a famous but difficult French song using real piano, real strings, real bass and real electric guitar. The result is perfect !

    Looking forward to working with him again !

  2. Review by Jeremy T.
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    Steve led a recording session for one of my songs for which he’d arranged the strings. He made every use of the time available with an exceptional result. Steve was completely professional throughout and I was very happy with the end product. Definitely worth the 5-star rating.

  3. Review by Lee Y.
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    by Lee Y.
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    Steve is a top tier string arranger who has a vast working vocabulary of ideas. He communicates effectively for every project and delivers work beyond your imagination.

  4. Review by Jeremy T.
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    I cannot recommend Steve (StringArranger) highly enough. In a couple of days, he produced an excellent string arrangement to my specifications, which surpassed all expectations and took my song into a different dimension. He kept me in the loop regarding his work in progress up until completion. Listen to his showreel. He is a phenomenally talented musician and I look forward to working with him again in the future.

  5. Review by David A.
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    Steve is everything you can want in a string arranger, and I cannot recommend him highly enough.
    I gave Steve a demo of the track and a reference track for the style of strings I wanted. He then came back very quickly with an incredible arrangement that is beyond what I expected.
    This is the second time I have used Steve and I can’t wait to work with him again.
    If you’re looking for an amazing string arrangements at a great price, then Steve is your man.

  6. Review by mike w.
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    Great to work again with Steve.

  7. Review by Karim N.
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    Steve is a brilliant musician. He remixed for me a famous song and did it in a very nice way, better than any cover of this song that can be found on Internet !

    I am eager to work with him on the next song !

  8. Review by mariano s.
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    Steve did an amazing job. The string parts he did for us were perfect for our song.

  9. Review by John M.
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    Steve is your ultimate go-to guy when any of your tracks need polishing and/or a beautiful string arrangement.

    I believe it's been over a year since Steve and I met on SoundBetter and we continue to put out great tracks. Thank you SoundBetter and thank you Steve.

  10. Review by mike w.
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    Was a great experience working with Steve. He was very flexible for my needs, provided excellent communication throughout the whole process, and he delivered more than what I expected.

  11. Review by Karim N.
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    It’s always wonderful to work with Steve ! He remixed for me a French song, where he added superb REAL strings which he supervised the recording in Scotland. The piano he plays in the remix is also so nice ! I find that the final result is even nicer than the music of the original song !

  12. Review by Liam M.
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    It was an absolute joy working with Steve. He knows exactly what he's doing and is very patient in the process. Great communication. Highly recommend!

  13. Review by Lee Y.
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    by Lee Y.
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    As usual, great arrangement from Steve. Beautiful harmonies and full of emotions.

  14. Review by Karim N.
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    It's great to work with Steve ! He is a very talented musician, composer and remixer ! I am very happy to start now a third project with him.

  15. Review by Lee Y.
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    by Lee Y.
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    My 3rd production working with Steve and as usual, he puts in the a lot of effort in his ideation and strings production with his vast amount of working vocabulary. One of the best.

  16. Review by Zolton
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    by Zolton
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    Fantastic experience working with Steve. He scored and played (VST) lush strings and delivered a final arrangement that really accentuated the music I sent him. A very professional and talented musician.

  17. Review by William D Lucey
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    Once again Steve delivers a beautiful arrangement. He exceeds expectations every time. Highly recommend

  18. Review by Lee Y.
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    by Lee Y.
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    Needed a string part for a demo and Steve executed the arrangement to perfection.

  19. Review by William D Lucey
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    Steve is a wonderful string arranger, thoughtful, skilled and always nails the emotional journey of the song. Love working with him and it's exciting to hear the song come back elevated as it always is. Highly recommend.

  20. Review by John M.
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    Another song brilliantly perfected in post-production by Steve. Can't say enough about his talents in arranging, production, and of course, strings.
    Thank you, sir!!!

Interview with StringArranger

  1. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  2. A: [Q] How many players do I need? [A] It’s all dependent on the style and feel of the track; quartet for that bony intimate sound, 13 to 26+ for lush texture. - - - - [Q] How long is the process? [A] Usually a day to compose an arrangement and maybe half a day for tweaks after discussion with the client. - - - - [Q] Can you fix the orchestra and studio? [A] Yes. I’ll take the arrangement right through from mock-up to delivered stems - - - - [Q] Will you attend the session? [A] Yes, this is always advisable. I will direct the session for a modest pro-rata daily rate plus expenses. Very often I can supervise a 4-hour session abroad as a day-trip. I can also supervise the session by remote audio link (usually Source-Connect) if budget is a real issue. Clients can also attend in person or via remote link. - - - - [Q] I'm on a restricted budget. What are my options? [A] I can deliver very realistic strings using VSTs and my sensibilities coming from being both a keyboard player and a violinist. However, if your track needs live strings a cost-saving solution is to use players who have remote recording facilities. I have achieved fantastic results this way. Another way to reduce budget is to book a quartet who can track-up to the required size of section, or bed-in sampled strings underneath, a tried-and-tested approach.

  3. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  4. A: Well.... In the strings world that refers to 'live players versus VST programming'. Of course, I'll always encourage you to use live players who bring human emotion, nuance and their priceless instruments, and I'll do my best to facilitate this within your budget, even if it's restricted. But I can achieve very realistic results using VSTs too using my ever-developing libray. I play every instrument in as an individual take with human emotion and feel, using multiple articulations and real-time volume input via expression pedal.

  5. Q: What's your typical work process?

  6. A: 1. Review and discuss your tracks and stylistic vision. 2. Prepare a short mock-up for approval before progressing. 3. Continue the arrangement to completion with regular updates to and input from you, and finally sending a completed mock-up. 4. For live strings, prepare scores and arrange the tracking session. For programming, record sampled strings in real time instrument by instrument using expression pedal and articulation key switching for ultimate realism.

  7. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  8. A: MacBook Pro, Adam AX7 monitors, UA Arrow interface, Roland controller kbd, Roland EV-5 expression pedal

  9. Q: How would you describe your style?

  10. A: A synergy of classical elegance and contemporary flair, traditional meets modern. My varied musical upbringing and career path have taken me through classical, then jazz, to pop, soul and R&B, via hip-hop and electro. From this melting pot of influence I derive a uniquely fresh and vibrant sound with it's roots in lush classical harmony.

  11. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  12. A: Mac computer, Adam AX7 monitors, UAD Arrow interface, various string libraries; ever evolving but currently including Spitfire Chamber/ Solo and BBC, Kirk Hunter CS2 & Solo 1, and Vienna Symphonic & Session Strings Pro 2, all running on Kontakt

  13. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  14. A: The huge musical reward from hearing a track come to life with a beautiful string arrangement. I also enjoy the working process, liaising with the client and on occasion being nudged into new musical territories. There's no bigger thrill than hearing one of my arrangements played by a string section, or hearing one of my commissions on radio/ TV or in a movie theatre.

  15. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  16. A: Highly recommended producers on SoundBetter: Paul Stanborough and Namira Productions (Hamza)

  17. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  18. A: I draw influence from so many sources; classic 1950s Hollywood scores and Bollywood soundtracks to the classical Grand Masters such as Beethoven & Bach and contemporary composers including Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten & Avro Pärt, along with epic film score composers such as the two Johns (Barry and Williams, Morricone, Herrmann, Desplat and Richter

  19. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  20. A: Loving Leela James at the moment, also Anthony Hamilton. Gorgeous soulful vocals from both, and dreamy chord progressions to really get my arranging kicks from!

  21. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  22. A: Every sound you add (strings in my case) needs to have a purpose, and a slot in the mix when it can sit comfortably, sometimes being felt rather than heard, popping its head up only occasionally to deliver to the listener those magical ear-candy moments

  23. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  24. A: Spine-tingling emotion and sparkle! Depending on your musical wishes my arrangements will add texture, drama and emotion to your tracks, with lush harmonies and beautiful melodic counterpoint. They will sit comfortably in the mix whist also finding their own space in the production spectrum.

  25. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  26. A: Jocelyn Brown's album 'True Praises' is one of my personal favourites. I loved working with the Nashville String Machine for Darlene Zschech, and recording the SSO at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for Denquar Chupak

  27. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  28. A: Real players are worth the extra expense if you can run to it. I have various solutions for tight budgets including remote sessions and very realistic VST sample programming using my ever-develping library

  29. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  30. A: My career really took off as a keyboard player in the 90s on the international touring circuit working with, amongst others Kyile, ELO, Jay-Z and Beyoncé. I sidelined into writing and production, initially with Uno Clio and LFA, remixing for Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson and Brownstone, amongst many others. Then in the early 2000s I had the contacts to develop my passion for string arranging!

  31. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  32. A: Although I can easily transcribe an existing arrangement my real skill (the one I focus on) lies in composing original arrangements.

  33. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  34. A: I work tirelessly to ensure I’ve fully encapsulated my client’s musical vision for their song. I always achieve perfection with everything I do. An arrangement won't leave my studio until I'm proud of it, and you are completely enthralled. The same of course applies to recording sessions and VST programming (which I'm quite obsessive about!)

  35. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  36. A: I'm currently arranging a number of exquisite instrumental small live sections tracks for a very talented composer. Due to Covid-19 restrictions I'm using my network of tech-savvy string players who have their own pro-studio set-ups at home. The results are stunning.

  37. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  38. A: - What’s your track duration and style? - Will you be wanting live strings or samples? - Have you decided on a section size/ number of players? - Can you send me some references that embody your vision for the arrangements? - Can you send a good demo for the purposes of delivering a more accurate quote?

  39. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  40. A: Composing beautiful, emotive string arrangements for major label artists and also those all-important up and coming unsigned writers and singers. I also write for films and TV, and recently for big live concerts

  41. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  42. A: Distinctive melodic counterpoint and lush harmonies. I have the ability to hear straight away what's needed from the strings for your track, and the skill to deliver very realistic mock-ups so you can judge for yourself before committing.

  43. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  44. A: I've arranged for styles ranging from pop and soul, R&B and gospel to country and folk, urban and rock, even african. Stylistically versatile! I split my time between working with recording artists and music-in-media (Documentaries, films, adverts etc)

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Instrumental from Nashville gospel artist Darlene Zschech's Awsome Wonder, tracked by Nashvile String Machine. More on SoundCloud @stringarranger

I was the String Arranger in this production

Terms Of Service

After discussing your track we'll agree a fee. I'll make you a short demo and when I get your OK I'll continue with the arrangement and make all the mods you require until you're completely happy.

GenresSounds Like
  • Ennio Morricone
  • John Williams
  • Aaron Copland
Gear Highlights
  • Mac computer
  • UA Arrow interface
  • Adam A7X speakers
  • Kontakt running VSTs including Spitfire Chamber & Solo
  • KH-CS2 & Solo 1 and NI-SSP2
More Photos
More Samples
SoundBetter Deal

Trial demos/ mock-ups are inclusive, as are unlimited revisions.

  • Crazy 2023. Here comes 2024!Jan 08, 2024

    What a whirlwind '23, creating strings & production for the most amazing songs & artists 


    Another film, plus several big albums and a big concert at the RAH, London.


    I've taken on a scoring & production assistant, and a second studio.


    We now have virtual 24bit 48kHz studio monitoring for clients.

  • Independent commissionsMay 24, 2023

    This year has been a busy for wonderful independent commissions. So lucky to work with some amazingly talented writers, producers and artists. 
    A slight increase in live strings commissions due to tricks I’ve employed to keep costs down, occasionally booked to facilitate just the recordings. 
    My choice orchestral teams and remote session players are absolutely wonderful! 

  • Film orchestration and loads of great tracksDec 05, 2022

    This year has seen another big film orchestration job (see my IMDb profile) plus many great tracks from new and returning clients. Busy, but a nice 'busy'! 

    More demos coming soon :)

  • Great tracks!Sep 29, 2022

    Great tracks coming through from my clients. Love enhancing them with strings. 


    Half my clients are using real strings. My orchestras are doing amazing work translating scores into vibrant performances.


    My production services are being called on more. Studio partner Will is doing a great job mixing and I have a great team of session musicians.



  • Wonderful clients :)Jul 25, 2022

    Another really busy quarter with some gorgeous songs and albums, plus two films. Most of these have been recorded with live orchestra so I’ve been putting some miles in attending and directing sessions. 
    From putting in 7-day working weeks for most of this year I have a little more relaxed schedule for the next month :) 

  • Loads of lovely songs!May 10, 2022

    I've not had the time to update my news feed for all the wonderful songs coming my way from my talented client base. Such a wonderful variety and incredible quality from all corners of the world. I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity to enhance these artists' and producers' work

  • Intriguing commissions and new software!Apr 21, 2021

    Lots of lovely commissions coming in from around the world including some stunning pop ballads, Classic Rock and Healing Music. I absolutely LOVE my job! 

    Trialing additional new software too!!

  • Sansano sessionsMar 04, 2021

    January saw me attending the tracking of my arrangements for a wonderful album of songs for Spanish producer Cristóbal Sansano with the Scottish Session Orchestra (organised by Clockwork Sessions) in their great new recording facilities, an old church in Glasgow. Watch the video on my StringArranger YouTube channel.

  • Ghana arena showDec 28, 2020

    Excited to hear the results of tonight’s epic gospel-meets-classical live album recording at a big worship event in Ghana’s Bukom Arena. 
    As well as 24 strings I added french horn and harp. Client and producer Alfred EWJ has been so supportive. 

  • Goin' Classical!Nov 09, 2020

    So... it's 'Baroque Pop' week with one of my superb returning clients, a very talented songwriter and composer who's producing something so unique and refreshing. 


    I'm also back creating arrangements with a client who came to me through my MySpace page (remember them?!) back in 2009... another symphonic creation, just live piano and soaring strings.

  • FinlandiaOct 04, 2020

    I'm not sure how the great master would feel about this, but I've just popped up a VST-created quartet rendition of Finlandia by Sibelius on my audio player.

    Forgive me Jean!!

  • Gorgeous classical-inspired commissionSep 24, 2020

    Just delivered one of favourite commissions to date; a gorgeous contemporary classical piece for violin and piano. Written by the client, my job was to adapt his piano version for violin, prepare the score and supervise the recording. Then I took care of the editing and the mix/ mastering.

    Very rewarding. I love my job! 

  • VST demoSep 08, 2020

    On request from clients I've added a demo of my VST sampled strings programming, on their own with no track so you can hear the detail. This was from a recent Gospel commission. The section size is approximately 18, so 'chamber' size.

    The demo is the last track on my profile demo player

    I'll be adding a quartet equivalent shortly

  • Commissions windfallAug 30, 2020

    After a slightly quieter August (which I took advantage of for a holiday) things are hotting up again here at StringArranger. I have two returning clients, both for lush ballads; one with a county feel and the other an African flavour. Both are gorgeous songs which I'm really looking forward to arranging for. 

    I've also got a couple of new clients on the horizon, for remote strings sessions.

  • Out there!Aug 21, 2020

    Absolutely loving my current SoundBetter commission! It's a boundary-stretching pop/classical hybrid, very angular and therefor extremely distinctive. We're working the 12-pice live section hard. Lots of fast, harmonically-complex runs!

  • Beautiful Gospel commissionsJul 26, 2020

    Alongside more of Patricks U's gorgeous classical-inspired piano and violin tracks, I'm adding magic to a string of beautiful Gospel music commissions. Incredibly complex lush chord sequences that get my creative brain cells stirring! Joyous!!

  • EnnioJul 06, 2020

    Mourning the passing of the hugely inspirational Ennio Morricone. Lush harmonies, stirring melodies, innovative instrumentation... he had it all.


    R.I.P


    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nejcuvTLt1Y

  • Throwback film!Jul 04, 2020

    Throwback to 2016 when I worked on this film with Pól Brennan in his idyllic rural studio in Co.Kilkenny. A very dark story and well worth watching.

    'Property Of The State'. A very dark film!

  • Violin excellence!Jun 15, 2020

    I feel blessed to have such a wonderful team of orchestral session players in my team. More importantly I've now honed that team to a core of players who have excellent technical knowledge and equipment to be able to deliver very high quality online sessions, vital in these times. My last commission for Patrick U delivered a stunning classical violin and piano piece, played with true passion.

  • Producer!Jun 12, 2020

    Not my usual thing but this month I finished a full production job for a client who originally came to me for just the strings. Acting as producer I arranged the brass and strings and supervised the remote recording of the full band, all stellar London session players. I outsourced the mix to a colleague.

  • More lovely tracks for PatrickJun 12, 2020

    Lockdown has been busy busy Busy!! I've just completed another gorgeous track for a regular client,  Patrick on SoundBetter. Just piano and strings but absolutely full of texture and emotion.


    I've also just finished off a flurry of arrangements for several gospel clients - big lush, complex chords!

  • Doco full episodeMay 17, 2020

    Here's a link to the full first episode of the highly acclaimed RTÉ documentary The Irish Revolution. Lots of string action mostly recorded on VSTs:


    The Irish Revolution - Episode 1 (RTÉ)


  • Yar Ivargal film trailerMay 04, 2020

    Another of my Prague sessions was for Javed Riaz, for the action film Yar Ivargal. Here's one of the promo trailers, featuring the film's theme song. 


    Yar Ivargal (film trailer - featured song)


  • Documentary: The Irish RevolutionMay 04, 2020

    Last year I was over in Ireland with Pól Brennan to work on this fascinating and thought-provoking documentary. Originally broadcast on RTÉ in three one-hour episodes it was abridged into a film. 


    The Irish Revolution (RTÉ) - short clip


  • Lockdown sessionsMay 02, 2020

    Making some exquisite music for my clients during lockdown using my network of talented and tech-savvy home-studio string players. All have great-sounding recording spaces and high-end mics. For those clients requiring it I'm also mixing and mastering the results here in my London studio.

  • Prague day trip sessionMar 29, 2020

    A very enjoyable day trip to Prague this month, although I saw nothing of the city! 


    MUSA, at CZTV studios were my hosts for an excellent session recording a 12-piece section for a wonderfully enigmatic album.


    Whimsica Sardonica session @ CZVT, Prague

  • Glasgow Concert Hall sessionsOct 07, 2019

    Last week I travelled up to Scotland to supervise the recording of one of my arrangements for a new client, using the Scottish Session Orchestra at the wonderful Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Great acoustics. 

    Denquar session - Glasgow


  • Alison WonderlandSep 12, 2019

    An amazingly exciting project signed off with Australian superstar Dj Alison Wonderland for her live shows. Tonight is the second night at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Massive show! 


    Wonderland sessions - LA

  • Jeff Lynne's ELOSep 12, 2019

    A very musically rewarding couple of months over in the States with Jeff Lynn's ELO!

  • Jan's album completedJul 07, 2017

    Jan Stroud's album has been rewarding. It's been over a year in production but that time has been well worth it.
    Each track is a stunning composition, from the heart and from a very personal perspective.
    Not every track uses live strings and on a few I just played piano but this ranks as one of my favourite commissions.

  • Two films in the canJul 07, 2017

    I've been over in Ireland working on two films which should be on general release later this year. Gorgeous music!