William Goodchild

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William Goodchild
Birth nameWilliam James Osbourne Goodchild
Born Northampton, UK
Genresfilm score, contemporary classical, jazz
Occupation(s)composer, orchestrator, conductor
Instrument(s)violin, viola, piano, synths, electric bass
SpouseRachel Goodchild (married 1990-present)
Website williamgoodchild.com

William Goodchild is a British composer, orchestrator and conductor who produces music for film, television and the concert hall.

Contents

Early life and education

William Goodchild was born in Northampton, England to an Australian-born father, the late Ronald Goodchild, (formerly Suffragan Bishop of Kensington), and an English mother, Jean Ross. In the autumn of 1964, the family moved to London where his father became Bishop of Kensington. [1] Here the family stayed until 1980, when his mother and father retired, eventually moving to North Devon. Goodchild attended The Hall School and received musical education at the Royal College of Music (1970–1974) where he was a Junior Exhibitioner, studying violin and piano. After gaining a music scholarship to Colet Court, and subsequently, St Paul's School (1974–1981), [2] He obtained a Bachelor's degree with Honours in Music at the University of East Anglia (1982–1985).[ citation needed ] He holds a Diploma of Licentiate in Pianoforte from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (1989). [3] He studied conducting with Richard Hickox, John Lubbock, and George Hurst, piano with Sidney Harrison, John York and Katherine Miller, jazz piano with Leon Cohen, and composition with Peter Aston and Julian Webb.[ citation needed ]

Career

Goodchild's interest in film composition began when working as a music assistant to British composer Edward Williams, preparing scores, and playing and conducting for recording sessions on television projects for Williams.[ citation needed ]

He has scored films for broadcasters including Netflix, BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, PBS, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel and YouTube Originals. [4] Scores composed by Goodchild include four-part Netflix series, Chimp Empire (2023), feature documentary The Letter: A Message For Our Earth (YouTube Originals/ PBS, 2022), Surviving Paradise: A Family Tale (a Netflix Original, 2022), and H2O: The Molecule That Made Us (PBS and BBC, 2019). [5] There are three original motion picture soundtrack albums composed by William currently available to stream: Chimp Empire, The Letter: A Message For Our Earth, and Africa's Fishing Leopards. [6]

Goodchild has worked with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London Metropolitan Orchestra, Budapest Art Orchestra and Bristol Ensemble. [7] He has recorded at many of the major London recording studios including Abbey Road Studios, Associated Independent Recording Studios, Angel Recording Studios, [8] and CTS Lansdowne Studios. As a conductor and orchestrator he has undertaken projects for the BBC including Nature's Great Events , Wild China , Ganges, Europe – a Natural History , Journey of Life and Wild New World . [9] As conductor, Goodchild has recorded for Sony Classical Records, Universal Records, Hyperion Records [10] and CBS Masterworks. [11]

On stage and in the recording studio, Goodchild has collaborated with solo artists including guitarist John Williams, [12] saxophonist Andy Sheppard, [13] members of the Maggini Quartet, violinist Natalia Lomeiko, [14] percussionist Alasdair Malloy, O-Duo, Tom Jones, [15] and drum and bass artist Roni Size and Reprazent. [16]

He is Senior Associate Teacher at University of Bristol, giving lectures on Media Composition as part of the MA Composition of Music for Film and Television course - a post he has held since September 2008. [17] He also gives talks on Music for Film for organizations such as BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Wildscreen Festival, Cardiff University School of Music and City University London. [18]

Goodchild's sound recording studio is located in Bristol. He is a member of The Ivors Academy and PRS for Music.[ citation needed ]

Film and television music (2006–2023)

Orchestrator and conductor (1985–2023)

Music awards

Personal life

In the 1980s, William Goodchild met Rachel Sarah Swan, a surface pattern designer, formerly a Montessori teacher. The two were married by William's father in Clifton College Chapel Bristol, England in 1990. [28] William and Rachel have two daughters: Rosa Fay Goodchild, a graduate of the University of South Wales, who is a Photographer and Videographer, [29] and Eleanor Goodchild, who studied Social Sciences at Cardiff University and who works as a Business Performance Manager at ISS World. [30]

References

  1. ↑ "Obituary: The Right Rev Ronald Goodchild". Independent.
  2. ↑ "Old Pauline News, Spring 2016 by St Paul's School - Issuu". Issuu. 23 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "About". William Goodchild.
  4. ↑ "About". William Goodchild.
  5. ↑ "Composing Credits". William Goodchild.
  6. ↑ "Cds and Downloads". William Goodchild.
  7. ↑ "Film Conductor". William Goodchild.
  8. 1 2 3 "Welcome to Angel Studios – Angel Studios".
  9. ↑ "Orchestrator". William Goodchild.
  10. ↑ "William Goodchild (Conductor) on Hyperion Records".
  11. ↑ "Film Conductor". William Goodchild.
  12. ↑ "John Williams (7) - The Guitarist John Williams". Discogs. October 1998.
  13. ↑ "William Goodchild". Ents24.
  14. ↑ "About me". Natalia Lomeiko.
  15. ↑ "Matador: the musical story of the life of El Cordobes". WorldCat.
  16. ↑ "Roni Size / Reprazent with William Goodchild & The Emerald Ensemble - Live At Colston Hall". Discogs. 27 November 2015.
  17. ↑ "Wildscreen Panda Award for Will Goodchild". University of Bristol. 24 October 2024.
  18. ↑ "Projects". William Goodchild.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "Icon Films – Home".
  20. 1 2 3 "Sky Vision – Home".
  21. ↑ "Home". parthenonentertainment.com.
  22. ↑ "BBC Two – Natural World, 2010-2011, Chimps of the Lost Gorge". BBC.
  23. 1 2 "Aqua Vita Films". aquavitafilms.
  24. ↑ "Panda Awards 2024". Wildscreen.
  25. ↑ "RTS West of England Awards nominations 2024". RTS. 29 February 2024.
  26. ↑ "RTS West of England Awards". RTS. 10 March 2023.
  27. ↑ "Television Academy". Television Academy.
  28. ↑ "Music Maestro". The Bristol Magazine. 22 May 2013.
  29. ↑ "Rosa Fay". Linked In.
  30. ↑ "Ellie Goodchild". Linked In.
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