Paul Farrer
Encyclopedia
Paul Farrer is a British film and television music composer
. He is best known for composing the music for the programmes The Weakest Link
, Dancing on Ice
, Gladiators
, The Krypton Factor
and the United Kingdom general election debates in 2010.
, England in 1973. When he was eight, he joined the Worcester Cathedral Voluntary Choir
, where he performed with the London Symphony Orchestra
, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
.
He left school at 16, and began working in a recording studio, playing the piano, clarinet, violin, saxophone and trumpet. He produced jingle
s for radio stations and set up his own company, before starting work for television.
, which is broadcast in 96 countries.
Farrer composed the music for The Jerry Springer Show
, Dog Eat Dog
, Riot Cops, Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice
, Saturday Night Live
, and the Academy Awards. He has also composed the music for the TV show Ant & Dec's PokerFace (ITV1). He wrote the music for the Toy Story
CD-ROMS, and produced work for The Royal Air Force
, Shell
, Ferrari
and Ford.
In 2006, he scored the Fox Reality series My Bare Lady
, "Jamie Theakston
's The Search (Channel Four), "Car Wars" BBC1 and "Alan Titchmarsh
's "The Great British Village Show" for BBC. His 2007 shows include Peter Jones' Tycoon
, "Families at War" with Trisha Goddard
for Five, The Iraq Commission for Channel Four and Marbella Belles for ITV.
2008 saw the launch of the new Trisha Goddard
Show, daily on Channel Five, for which Farrer composed title music.
In May 2008 Sky One's relaunch of Gladiators premiered; Farrer was commissioned to compose the theme and incidental music.
2009 began with ITV's relaunch of "The Krypton Factor
", and a second series of Battle of The Brains hosted by Nicky Campbell, along with new series of Dancing on Ice and Gladiators, all scored by Farrer.
Farrer's music has also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show
, comedies Little Britain
and The I.T. Crowd, and game show The Chase
.
In 2010, he has composed the music to Ant and Dec's Push The Button, 71 Degrees North
both for ITV and Antiques Master for BBC1. He also composed the original music for the historic first ever UK election Debate screened on ITV on 15 April 2010.
In 2011, he has composed the theme and incidental music to The Magicians
for BBC1 and CITV/Disney XD's Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge
.
Full list: http://www.paulfarrer.com/clients/
, and has worked on movies that have headlined with Jason Connery
, Brian Blessed
and Oliver Reed
.
. In Addition to his music for The Weakest Link, being used on the Activision game releases for PS1 and PS2, he has provided music and sound design for Relentless Software's "Buzz!
" series of videogames including
"Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz", "Buzz! Quiz TV", "Buzz! Master Quiz", "Buzz! Brain Bender" and "Buzz!: Brain of the World".
In 2010, he completed the score to Sony's "TV Superstars
" PS3 title, which makes full use of the Sony Move system.
He is also a regular contributor to "Sound on Sound
" Europe's leading music technology magazine. Writing a monthly column called 'Notes From The Deadline' in which he recounts experiences he has as a media composer.
Composer Award and an Ampex
Golden Reel Award.
He is a member of both The Performing Rights Society (PRS) and The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
In 2010, Farrer became a member of The British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA)
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 is best known for composing the music for the programmes The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
, Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
, Gladiators
Gladiators (2008 UK TV series)
Gladiators was a British television series which aired on Sky1 from 11 May 2008 to 25 October 2009. It was filmed in Shepperton Studios and was produced by Shine Limited. It was a revival of the earlier series of the same name and based on the American version of the show. The US, UK and...
, The Krypton Factor
The Krypton Factor
The Krypton Factor was a British game show produced by Granada Television for broadcast on ITV. The show originally ran from 7 September 1977 to 20 November 1995, and was hosted by Gordon Burns and usually broadcast on the ITV network on Mondays at 19:00....
and the United Kingdom general election debates in 2010.
Early life
Farrer was born in WorcesterWorcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, England in 1973. When he was eight, he joined the Worcester Cathedral Voluntary Choir
Worcester Cathedral Voluntary Choir
The Worcester Cathedral Voluntary Choir is an Anglican choir made up of boy trebles and male voices. The choir is based at Worcester Cathedral, Worcester, United Kingdom and regularly sings at the 6:30pm Sunday Evensong.-History:...
, where he performed with the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. The Orchestra's current chief executive, appointed in 1999, is Stephen Maddock...
.
He left school at 16, and began working in a recording studio, playing the piano, clarinet, violin, saxophone and trumpet. He produced jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s for radio stations and set up his own company, before starting work for television.
Television career
Farrer composed the music for the BBC programme The Weakest LinkThe Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
, which is broadcast in 96 countries.
Farrer composed the music for The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
, Dog Eat Dog
Dog Eat Dog (game show)
Dog Eat Dog is a Saturday night British game show on BBC One hosted by Ulrika Jonsson, which ran from 14 April 2001 to 2 November 2002. It was devised by David Young, then a BBC producer...
, Riot Cops, Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice
Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice
Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice is an Australian reality television series which was based on the original British version, Dancing on Ice. The series premiered on the Nine Network on Tuesday, 11 July 2006 at , and involved celebrities ice dancing on a specially constructed ice rink located in...
, Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, and the Academy Awards. He has also composed the music for the TV show Ant & Dec's PokerFace (ITV1). He wrote the music for the Toy Story
Toy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
CD-ROMS, and produced work for The Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
and Ford.
In 2006, he scored the Fox Reality series My Bare Lady
My Bare Lady
My Bare Lady is a 2006 United Kingdom-based reality TV show that aired on the Fox Reality Channel. The series followed four American female porn stars as they took acting lessons and performed in scenes from classic drama alongside British actors in London's West End...
, "Jamie Theakston
Jamie Theakston
Jamie Theakston is an English television and radio presenter, producer and actor.-Education:...
's The Search (Channel Four), "Car Wars" BBC1 and "Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes...
's "The Great British Village Show" for BBC. His 2007 shows include Peter Jones' Tycoon
Tycoon (TV series)
Tycoon was an ITV reality television show, based on the existing Peter Jones/Simon Cowell production American Inventor, which began on 19 June 2007 at 9.00pm. It was fronted by Peter Jones, who searched for entrepreneurs with ideas that he helped turn into profit-making companies. The winner was...
, "Families at War" with Trisha Goddard
Trisha Goddard
Patricia "Trisha" Goddard is a British television presenter and actress best known for her morning talk show, Trisha Goddard, which is broadcast on a mid morning slot on Channel 5 in the UK. In Australia she is known as a long time presenter of Play School.-Background:Goddard was born in London,...
for Five, The Iraq Commission for Channel Four and Marbella Belles for ITV.
2008 saw the launch of the new Trisha Goddard
Trisha Goddard
Patricia "Trisha" Goddard is a British television presenter and actress best known for her morning talk show, Trisha Goddard, which is broadcast on a mid morning slot on Channel 5 in the UK. In Australia she is known as a long time presenter of Play School.-Background:Goddard was born in London,...
Show, daily on Channel Five, for which Farrer composed title music.
In May 2008 Sky One's relaunch of Gladiators premiered; Farrer was commissioned to compose the theme and incidental music.
2009 began with ITV's relaunch of "The Krypton Factor
The Krypton Factor
The Krypton Factor was a British game show produced by Granada Television for broadcast on ITV. The show originally ran from 7 September 1977 to 20 November 1995, and was hosted by Gordon Burns and usually broadcast on the ITV network on Mondays at 19:00....
", and a second series of Battle of The Brains hosted by Nicky Campbell, along with new series of Dancing on Ice and Gladiators, all scored by Farrer.
Farrer's music has also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, comedies Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
and The I.T. Crowd, and game show The Chase
The Chase
- Film :* The Chase , an American film noir* The Chase , an American drama directed by Arthur Penn* The Chase , a Hong Kong action film* The Chase , a Hong Kong film of 1977...
.
In 2010, he has composed the music to Ant and Dec's Push The Button, 71 Degrees North
71 Degrees North
71 Degrees North is a TV series on ITV which began broadcasting on 11 September 2010. 10 celebrities must battle it out to see who will make it to the 71st parallel north, with challenges along the way. Mazda formerly sponsored the show, Continental tires are the current sponsors...
both for ITV and Antiques Master for BBC1. He also composed the original music for the historic first ever UK election Debate screened on ITV on 15 April 2010.
In 2011, he has composed the theme and incidental music to The Magicians
The Magicians (TV series)
The Magicians is a British family entertainment television show, first broadcast throughout January 2011 on BBC One. The show features magicians Luis de Matos,Barry and Stuart, and Chris Korn performing a number of magic tricks with guest celebrities, competing for audience support...
for BBC1 and CITV/Disney XD's Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge
Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge
Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge, is a Disney XD/CITV game show that premiered on October 17, 2011 and completed it's first season on November 7, 2011. The show is a challenge game where six teams battle to the finish to win the Ultimate Challenge and become Conquerors of The Fort. The show is an...
.
Full list: http://www.paulfarrer.com/clients/
Film career
Farrer worked on music for the movie DominoDomino (film)
Domino is a 2005 American action film directed by Tony Scott and written by Richard Kelly. It is inspired by the story of Domino Harvey, the English daughter of stage and screen actor Laurence Harvey, who became a bounty hunter working in Los Angeles. The film stars Keira Knightley as Domino and...
, and has worked on movies that have headlined with Jason Connery
Jason Connery
Jason Joseph Connery is an English actor.-Early life:Connery grew up in London. He attended Millfield School, a co-educational independent school in Somerset, England, and later at the independent Gordonstoun School in Scotland. He was later accepted into the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School...
, Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed is an English actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".-Early life:The son of William Blessed, a socialist miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England...
and Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
.
| Film Score | Year |
|---|---|
| The Bruce | 1996 |
| Macbeth | 1997 |
| King Lear | 1999 |
| Steel Tempest | 1999 |
| Hamlet | 2000 |
| Harvest | 2003 |
| Sindy: The Fairy Princess | 2003 |
| Little Dog Turpie | 2004 |
| Domino | 2005 |
| Ulysses Road | 2007 |
Other projects
Paul Farrer has scored a number of videogames for the PlayStationPlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
. In Addition to his music for The Weakest Link, being used on the Activision game releases for PS1 and PS2, he has provided music and sound design for Relentless Software's "Buzz!
Buzz!
Buzz! is a series of video games originated by Sleepydog Ltd., developed by Relentless Software and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable consoles. They are quiz games that see the players answering trivia questions while...
" series of videogames including
"Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz", "Buzz! Quiz TV", "Buzz! Master Quiz", "Buzz! Brain Bender" and "Buzz!: Brain of the World".
In 2010, he completed the score to Sony's "TV Superstars
TV Superstars
TV Superstars is a 2010 party video game for the PlayStation 3. It uses the PlayStation Move motion controller. The game was developed by SCE Cambridge Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment...
" PS3 title, which makes full use of the Sony Move system.
He is also a regular contributor to "Sound on Sound
Sound on Sound
Sound on Sound is an independently-owned monthly music technology magazine published by SOS Publications Group, based in Cambridge, UK. The magazine includes product tests of electronic musical performance and recording devices, and interviews with industry professionals...
" Europe's leading music technology magazine. Writing a monthly column called 'Notes From The Deadline' in which he recounts experiences he has as a media composer.
Awards
He was the recipient of a BMIBroadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
Composer Award and an Ampex
Ampex
Ampex is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff. The name AMPEX is an acronym, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence...
Golden Reel Award.
He is a member of both The Performing Rights Society (PRS) and The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
In 2010, Farrer became a member of The British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA)
External links
- Paul Farrer - Official website
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0268404/ - Paul Farrer on IMDB