SIMON
HALE
Simon
Hale is one of the foremost arrangers and orchestrators in the music business.
He
has worked with Jamiroquai, Duncan Sheik, Bjšrk, George Benson, Incognito,
Oasis, Steve Balsamo, Supergrass, The Beautiful South, Josh Groban and many more.
After
graduating Goldsmiths' College, University of London in 1985, Simon began a
career as a professional musician, playing keyboards for such artists as Gail
Ann Dorsey, Incognito, Seal, Paul Carrack, Lamont Dozier, Serge Faubert, Trevor
Horn, and Wendy & Lisa. Highlights include the Hollywood Rock festival in
Brazil and the Grammys at Radio City, New York.
Not
content with just playing keyboards, Simon has carved a name for himself as a
highly versatile composer and arranger. As well as releasing his solo CD East
Fifteen, he has arranged for Tomoyasu Hotei, Incognito, James Brown, Shawn Lee,
Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, London Philharmonic
Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Jimmy Nail,
Stereo MC's, Republica, Noa, Nourith, Maysa, Electrasy, Mike & the
Mechanics, M People, Lightning Seeds, Duncan Sheik, BT, Oasis, Bjšrk, Tom Jones
& Natalie Imbruglia, and 3 albums for Jamiroquai including conducting
strings for their collaboration with Diana Ross at the Brit awards. He
co-produced a track with Duncan Sheik for the 20th anniversary of Fleetwood
Mac's Rumours and arranged strings and woodwind for Duncan's CD Humming as well as co-writing on the
album.
Simon was
commissioned to compose a theme for BT's FutureTalk zone in the Millennium Dome
at Greenwich and it was played at the press launch alongside a spectacular
visual projection onto the roof of the Dome itself.
Simon has
worked on albums for Kylie Minogue, Roachford, Lucie Silves, Tom Jones, Alison
Moyet, DJ Krust from Reprazent, Catatonia, The The, Steve Balsamo, Tina Arena,
Gwen Stefani, Randy Crawford, Kanye West, Lan Lang, Nathan Larson, Incognito,
Heather Small, EMI Classics and again for Duncan Sheik (2 albums). He also
conducted and arranged for Charlotte Church's Dream a Dream as well as
supervising the orchestra for her appearance on The Tonight Show and writing
for her appearance with the United States Navy Band at The White House.
More
recently there have been collaborations and co-writes with Will Young, Melanie
C, Ana Torroja, Abs, Amy Studt, Simply Red, Gordon Haskell, Nickel Creek, Edwin
Collins, Appletons, Madness, Shonagh Daly, Incognito, Jamie Scott, Lemar, The
411 and orchestrations and arrangements for The Getaway (PS2). Simon also
arranged "Stayin' Alive" for Robin Gibb's live performance with the
National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC. He recently worked on albums for
Supergrass, Simply Red (including their live DVD from Havana), Big Brovaz, Alex
Parks, McFly, Beulah, Will Young, Ben Adam and The Beautiful South. He composed
and orchestrated the music for the Endemol television presentation of Hans
Christian Anderson's 200th Anniversary show as well as writing and
arranging for other projects. December 2006 saw Simon's Broadway debut as
co-orchestrator for "Spring Awakening" composed by Duncan Sheik and
the receipt of the Tony award for ÒBest OrchestrationsÓ in June 2007. The CD
from that recording went on to win the Grammy for ÒBest Musical ShowÓ in 2008.
Very few
composers, orchestrators and conductors manage to bridge the gulf between
straight-ahead pop, funk and jazz and contemporary filmic and classical styles.
Simon Hale's work does this and has a distinctive and original style. He has
earned and enjoys the respect of artists, musicians and producers across the
board.