Christian Howes
Encyclopedia
Christian Howes is a Bafta nominated English
/Irish
musician
, music programmer, arranger
, song writer and film score
composer
. He has composed orchestral and electronic scores for a variety of films, adverts and documentaries. His clients have included Microsoft
, Chrysler
, Wonderbra
, Al Jazeera
, The BBC and Partizan Films among many others. He uses a combination of synthesizers, electronica
and choir as well as both modern instruments and traditional orchestra.
At age 17 he moved to Cambridge to study at Hills Road Sixth Form College
. He again played in both the Symphony and Chamber orchestras as well as the Chamber Choir. During the summer of 2002 Christian undertook the Eton Choral course in Edinburgh under the tuition of Ralph Allwood
. He also performed regularly as lead singer and guitarist of symphonic metal band Aconite with whom he played until leaving to pursue a degree.
After completing his A Levels Howes went on to study Music with Computer Sound Design alongside the world famous Tonnmeister course at the University of Surrey
. During his gap-year however Christian was commissioned to write the music for a BBC documentary 'Child' which charted the lives of HIV/AIDS affected children from the UK and Rwanda. His music for Child was nominated for Bafta's Anthony Asquith Award for best original score.
It was at this time that Howes secured work at the world famous Air Lyndhurst Studios in London. Through this and further stints at Air Christian was able to gain experience as a studio assistant working with film composers such as Ed Shearmur on Derailed
, Eric Serra
on Bandidas
and most notably Patrick Doyle
on two films Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire
and The Last Legion
.
Doyle subsequently offered Christian a job as his music assistant on the 2007 feature Sleuth
Directed by Doyle's long-time colleague Kenneth Branagh
and starring Jude Law
and Sir Michael Caine
. Since then Christian has worked with Patrick on two further films: Nim's Island
and Igor
as both assistant and music programmer.
As a composer Howes' has recently written music for a number of different projects and clients including Chrysler
's 2008 Grand Voyager Advertising Campaign, Wonderbra
, Microsoft
Xbox 360, Al Jazeera
and significantly for Partizan Films when in late 2008 Christian wrote the score for a short 'I Stood Up' which won the 2008 Smoke and Mirrors 48 Hour Film Competition and is now being promoted at festivals around the world.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
/Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, music programmer, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, song writer and film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He has composed orchestral and electronic scores for a variety of films, adverts and documentaries. His clients have included Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
, Wonderbra
Wonderbra
The Wonderbra is a type of push-up underwire brassiere that gained worldwide prominence in the 1990s. Although the Wonderbra name was first trademarked in the U.S. in 1935, the brand was developed in Canada. Moses Nadler, founder and majority owner of the Canadian Lady Corset Company, licensed the...
, Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
, The BBC and Partizan Films among many others. He uses a combination of synthesizers, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and choir as well as both modern instruments and traditional orchestra.
Career
Howes studied music among his subjects at the Kings School Ely in Cambridgeshire where he performed as Principal Cellist in the symphony and chamber orchestras. He was also a principal baritone in both the Ely Cathedral Chapel Choir, the school chamber choir and the Ely Early Music Consort. During this time he completed tours of both France and Germany with a number of the above ensembles.At age 17 he moved to Cambridge to study at Hills Road Sixth Form College
Hills Road Sixth Form College
Hills Road Sixth Form College is a state funded co-educational sixth form college in Cambridge, England, providing full-time AS and A-level courses for approximately 1,800 sixth form students from the surrounding area and a wide variety of courses to around 4,000 part-time students of all ages in...
. He again played in both the Symphony and Chamber orchestras as well as the Chamber Choir. During the summer of 2002 Christian undertook the Eton Choral course in Edinburgh under the tuition of Ralph Allwood
Ralph Allwood
Ralph Allwood was the Precentor and Director of Music at Eton College in the UK until September 2011. He is a British conductor and has set up many musical events, including the Eton Choral Courses of which there are now seven a year....
. He also performed regularly as lead singer and guitarist of symphonic metal band Aconite with whom he played until leaving to pursue a degree.
After completing his A Levels Howes went on to study Music with Computer Sound Design alongside the world famous Tonnmeister course at the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
. During his gap-year however Christian was commissioned to write the music for a BBC documentary 'Child' which charted the lives of HIV/AIDS affected children from the UK and Rwanda. His music for Child was nominated for Bafta's Anthony Asquith Award for best original score.
It was at this time that Howes secured work at the world famous Air Lyndhurst Studios in London. Through this and further stints at Air Christian was able to gain experience as a studio assistant working with film composers such as Ed Shearmur on Derailed
Derailed
Derailed is a 2005 British-American thriller film based on the novel of the same name by James Siegel. The film is directed by Mikael Håfström and stars Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassel, Melissa George, Addison Timlin, Giancarlo Esposito, RZA and Xzibit. This film was the first to be...
, Eric Serra
Eric Serra
Éric Serra is a French composer. He has often worked on the movies of Luc Besson.- Biography :Éric Serra's father Claude was a famous French songwriter in the 1950s and '60s, and, as such, Éric was exposed to music and its production at a young age. His mother died when he was just seven years old...
on Bandidas
Bandidas
Bandidas is a 2006 French/Mexican/American Western comedy film starring Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz directed by Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg and produced and written by Luc Besson...
and most notably Patrick Doyle
Patrick Doyle
Patrick Doyle is a Scottish musician and film score composer. A longtime collaborator of actor/director Kenneth Branagh, Doyle is known for his work scoring such critically acclaimed films as Henry V , Sense and Sensibility , Hamlet , and Gosford Park , as well as noteworthy blockbusters as Harry...
on two films Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling, published on 8 July 2000.The novel won a Hugo Award in 2001, the only Harry Potter novel to do so...
and The Last Legion
The Last Legion
The Last Legion is a 2007 film directed by Doug Lefler. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis and others, it is based on a 2003 Italian novel of the same name written by Valerio Massimo Manfredi...
.
Doyle subsequently offered Christian a job as his music assistant on the 2007 feature Sleuth
Sleuth
-Theatre and film:*Sleuth , a 1970 play by Anthony Shaffer*Sleuth , a film adaptation of the Anthony Shaffer play, directed by Joseph L...
Directed by Doyle's long-time colleague Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
and starring Jude Law
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
and Sir Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
. Since then Christian has worked with Patrick on two further films: Nim's Island
Nim's Island
Nim's Island is a 2008 Australian adventure-fantasy film directed by Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin and starring Abigail Breslin, Jodie Foster, and Gerard Butler. The story is based on the book Nim's Island by Wendy Orr. A young girl, Nim, seeks help from the author of her favorite adventure...
and Igor
Igor
Igor is a given name derived from the Norse name Ingvar, that was brought to ancient Rus' by the Norse Varangians, in the form Ingvar or Yngvar...
as both assistant and music programmer.
As a composer Howes' has recently written music for a number of different projects and clients including Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
's 2008 Grand Voyager Advertising Campaign, Wonderbra
Wonderbra
The Wonderbra is a type of push-up underwire brassiere that gained worldwide prominence in the 1990s. Although the Wonderbra name was first trademarked in the U.S. in 1935, the brand was developed in Canada. Moses Nadler, founder and majority owner of the Canadian Lady Corset Company, licensed the...
, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Xbox 360, Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
and significantly for Partizan Films when in late 2008 Christian wrote the score for a short 'I Stood Up' which won the 2008 Smoke and Mirrors 48 Hour Film Competition and is now being promoted at festivals around the world.
External links
- http://www.christianhowesmusic.co.uk Christian Howes Official Website