| William Goodchild | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Born | 3 April 1964 Northampton, England |
| Genres | Musical composition, orchestration, conducting |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Website | Official website |
| Notable instruments | |
| Piano | |
William Goodchild (born 3 April 1964) is a composer, orchestrator and conductor who produces music for film, television and the concert hall.
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Born in Northampton to an Australian-born father, Ronald Cedric Osbourne Goodchild, (formerly Suffragan Bishop of Kensington), and an English mother Jean Ross, William Goodchild was educated at the Royal College of Music (1970–1974) where he was a Junior Exhibitioner, studying violin and piano. After gaining a music scholarship at St Paul's School (1974–1981), William Goodchild obtained a Bachelor's degree with Honors in music at the University of East Anglia (1982–1985). He also holds a Diploma of Licentiate in Pianoforte from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (1989). He is a member of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and the MCPS-PRS Alliance. He studied conducting with Richard Hickox, John Lubbock (conductor) and George Hurst, and piano with Sidney Harrison and John York. His passion for film composition began when working as a musical assistant to British composer Edward Williams preparing scores and conducting sessions on television projects for Edward Williams. William Goodchild also teaches Music for Film and Television at the University of Bristol and gives seminars on Music for Film for organizations such as Music Industry Education and Wildscreen Festival and has been invited to teach in 2011 for Wildeye International School of Wildlife Filmmaking. In May 2010 he worked on a major Music for Film project with the BBC Concert Orchestra and twenty-seven young musicians as part of the Bristol Festival of Nature 2010. Goodchild’s sound recording studio is in Bristol, England and is equipped with Apple Inc computers running with Logic Pro audio sequencing and Sibelius Software, delivering recordings in stereo and 5.1 surround sound.
William Goodchild's composing career portfolio includes original music for natural history and history documentaries, radio drama and a variety of commercial work. Recent broadcast commissions include Wild Amazon (2010) - a two-part series for the National Geographic Channel and Animal Planet, Wild Russia (2009) – a six-part series for the National Geographic Channel and Animal Planet, Snow Monkeys (2009) for BBC Natural World, Lobo – the Wolf that Changed America (2008) – a Natural World production for the BBC and WNET narrated by David Attenborough; Humpbacks – from Fire to Ice (2008) for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the National Geographic Society narrated by David Attenborough; Athens – the Truth about Democracy (2007) – a two-part history feature for Channel 4 produced by Lion TV and presented by Bettany Hughes; A Man among Bears (2008) – a natural history feature for Five and National Geographic produced by Aqua Vita Films; and Peter Scott – a Passion for Nature (2006) - produced by Available Light Productions for BBC Two. Current commissions include Secrets of the Arabian Nights (2010) - directed by Mark Fielder and Lizzie White for Quickfire Media for BBC 4/2 broadcast in Autumn/Winter 2010.
William Goodchild works with a number of international and national orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the London Metropolitan Orchestra. He has recorded at many of the major London recording studios including Abbey Road Studios, Associated Independent Recording, Angel Studios, and CTS Lansdowne Studios. As a conductor and orchestrator he has undertaken projects for the BBC including natural history series such as Nature's Great Events, Wild China, Ganges, Europe – a Natural History, Journey of Life and Wild New World, and has recorded for Sony Classical Records, Universal Records, and CBS Records.
He has collaborated with international solo artists as diverse as guitarist John Williams with whom he has recorded a number of albums, Andy Sheppard, members of the Maggini Quartet, Natalia Lomeiko, Alasdair Malloy, O-Duo and Tom Jones and most recently Roni Size and Reprazent. In Bristol, William Goodchild is guest conductor with the Bristol Ensemble – Bristol's professional chamber orchestra, and with the Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra, performing regularly at Colston Hall and St George's Bristol.
Braving Iraq (a.k.a. 'Miracle in the Marshes of Iraq') an Aqua Vita Films and WNET Production won the Gold World Medal in the Environment and Ecology category at The New York Festival's International Film and Television Awards in Las Vegas in 2011. Music composed by William Goodchild.
As orchestrator and conductor, William Goodchild was a key contributor to the soundtrack of Wild China: Heart of Dragon which was awarded an Emmy for Music and Sound in September 2009.
The Wolf that Changed America (2008), a Natural World production for the BBC and Thirteen/WNET (New York) narrated by Sir David Attenborough, was awarded the Jury's Special Prize at the 2008 Wildscreen Festival in 2008, and the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival in 2009 at Jackson Hole. Music composed by William Goodchild.
March 2011 - Russian Classics Orchestral concert featuring cellist Benjamin Hughes, principal cellist, BBC Concert Orchestra, with the Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra at St. George's Bristol. (W. Goodchild, Conductor).
February 2011 - Frozen Planet Session at Abbey Road Studios, BBC Concert Orchestra in recordings of music for program Seven of Frozen Planet (BBC), composed by Barnaby Taylor. (W. Goodchild, Conductor).
December 2010 - The Truth About Lions (Natural History Series) with the Bristol Ensemble at Christchurch Studios, Bristol. Composed by David Poore, (W. Goodchild, Conductor).
March 2010 - St. George's Bristol - Feature Concert with soprano soloist Charlotte Newstead and the Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra. (W. Goodchild, Conductor).
January 2010 - St. George's Bristol - Ilya at the Bristol Acoustic Music Festival. Ilya performed songs from the CD 'Carving Heads on Cherry Stones'. Featuring Joanna Swan (vocals), Nick Pullin (guitars), William Goodchild (bass), Jacob (banjo, mandolin, guitar), Gina Griffin (violin) and Daisy Palmer (percussion).
January 2010 - The Great Rift with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios, London. Third session recording the music for this 3-part BBC Natural History series composed by Barnaby Taylor, (W. Goodchild, Orchestrator, Conductor).
October 2009 - St. Paul's Cathedral - John Colet Day. Motet for 200 singers and organ celebrating the Quincentenary of St. Paul's School London. (Music composed by W. Goodchild).
September 2009 - Colston Hall Bristol - Roni Size and Reprazent with The Bristol Ensemble and Gospel Choir. (Orchestrated and conducted by W. Goodchild).
September 2009 - Colston Hall Bristol - Drawer of Dreams. Dark cabaret performed by Cirque Bijou with The Bristol Ensemble conducted by Charles Hazlewood. (Orchestrated by W. Goodchild).
July 2009 - Feature Concert with cellist Sara Lovell and the Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra at St. Georges Bristol. (W. Goodchild, Conductor).
March 2009 -St. George's Bristol - Feature Concert with pianist Nicola Meecham and the Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra. (W. Goodchild, Conductor).
February 2009 - Music and Chance with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Bristol. (Orchestrated by W. Goodchild).
October 2008 - George Frideric Handel's Messiah on period instruments with Musica Buena, at the Tyndale Baptist Church, Bristol. (W. Goodchild, Conductor).
June 2008 - Last Night of the Proms with the Bristol Ensemble and soprano soloist Ros Evans held in Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England. (W. Goodchild, Conductor).
June 2008 - Into the Still Point with poet Stuart Warner, singer Chloe Goodchild and guitarist Nick Pullin. Sessions included recordings of spoken voice, vocals and guitars, banjo and bouzouki for this commercial CD project of seven poems written by Stuart Warner. (Composed and produced by W. Goodchild).