‘Arrival’ is a work that is intended as trailer music for a sci-fi film.  Showcasing Logic Pro as software for realising compositions, this piece is fully electronic.  A variety of synths are utilised in order to create a spectrum of fantastical and otherworldly sounds.  To match the intended narrative, there is a crescendo in intensity throughout the piece, building in complexity and tension.

Arrival

Jubilation is not only a celebratory piece in its style, it is a piece which celebrates the fantastic and surprising variety found within the sound and repertoire of English brass bands. In its style, the piece explores the majesty and brashness as well as the lightness and delicacy brass bands can achieve. It highlights the variety of sonorities that can be achieved by a brass band in the way it passes melody and accompaniment between the different parts, highlighting the unique qualities of every instrument. Jubilation celebrates brass banding, but also puts a twist on its conventions. The opening and closing motif takes inspiration from Arabesque music, and the presto section imitates a march in its style, but its irregular 7/8 time signature throws this into disarray. Furthermore, the addition of a third percussion part both widens the timbral palette of the piece and goes somewhat beyond brass band convention.

JUBILATION

"Machiavellian Movements" is a short demo piece, written to evoke themes of villainy and antagonism. The first half features a solo piano with a wandering tempo, the character perhaps questioning their motivations. With the introduction of the synth, these doubts are dispelled. The theme kicks into overdrive, the tempo ramping up as a dirty bass and drumkit enter. The character soars into action, leaving everything else behind.

Machiavellian Movements

"Make the Necessary Preparations" is an orchestral soundtrack demo piece. This piece seeks to evoke the emotions in the second act of a story when the protagonist(s) must prepare for a final showdown, making great sacrifices to overcome the enemy at hand. It slowly builds throughout, with evocative and emotional melodies atop a driving beat.

Make the Necessary Preparations

Composed as part of my MA at the University of Bristol, this piece is an imagination of an alternative title sequence theme for Frederator Studios' "Adventure Time" (2010-2018). Featuring motifs for Finn & Jake, the call of adventure and the Ice King, it is an exploration of motivic development as well as a demonstration of my ability to create a short piece which represents a whole series.

Adventure Time

"Suit Up" is an original piece of music, written as a soundtrack demo. It envisages a sequence in a classic heroic story where the protagonist(s) must prepare themselves for the upcoming final battle, i.e. they must "suit up" for what is to come. Slowly building in intensity throughout, it would provide an epic underscore.

Suit Up

"Odd Occurrences" is an original composition written as a library piece. With quirky melodies and accompaniment, this piece is ideal for light comedy or other surreal productions.

Odd Occurrences

Performed by Samuel Kail-Dyke (trumpet), Kristina Hutchinson (alto saxophone) and Billy Crook (trombone). Arranged by Thomas H. Gent, transcribed by Billy Crook.

Summertime

Performed by Jasmine Law.

This piece is based on A.S.J.Tessimond's poem, "Music." When I encountered this poem, I was struck by its verbal illustrations of the art of music. It encouraged me to interrogate precisely what music means, how we experience it, and how I write it. I was subsequently attracted to the concept of defamiliarization, coined by Viktor Shklovsky. This concept argues the purpose of art is to ‘make strange’ the world around us. This piece, therefore, attempts to defamiliarise much of what we perceive music to be; it should be nearly recognisable, yet not quite, thus feeling incredibly strange and unnatural, falling into an auditory uncanny valley.

Tessimond

Performed by members of the Bristol Ensemble. Conducted by Billy Crook.
Violin - Roger Huckle
Clarinet in A - Roger Armstrong
Violoncello - Harriet Wiltshire
Piano - Jeremy Little

Introduction
The life not lived.
Part 1: Wondering
What could have been? Have I done enough?
Part 2: Lamenting
Why are things this way? Why haven’t I done enough?
Part 3: Accepting
This is the way things are. This is what I have.

It is incredibly common to think about the life one could have lived. If circumstances, knowledge or decisions had been different, how one's story could have pivoted, for better or worse. This can result in feelings of wonder and relief, but also dread and regret. Things could have been worse, but they also could have been better. Ultimately, one can never know for sure what may have happened under any different past circumstances. All they know is the lift they have lived. Those experiences give life beauty and meaning, and should ultimately be what one thinks of to conclude these thought experiments: this is the life I have lived, and I accept it.

This piece explores these conundrums. It begins with an Introduction consisting unison melody, a hint of another life that could have been, but nevertheless is not real. The melody is then fragmentally explored in the subsequent three parts. Part 1 examines the feelings of wondering, and questioning how life could have been different. Developing from this, Part 2 is more angry and sorrowful, lamenting the experiences which could have been, perhaps seeing life as a failure, or at the very least expressing exasperation at missed opportunities. Part 3 is the acceptance of the life one has lived, understanding that it cannot be changed and that their experiences are all one is.

Reflections Of A Life Not Lived

"Neptune's Reef" is an original piece of music, composed as the main theme to a video game of the same name created by students at the University of Bristol. This piece is a suite of themes and ideas demonstrating thematic development and orchestration.

Neptune's Reef

"Treevolution" is an augmented-reality tabletop tower-defence game developed by computer science students at the University of Bristol. The music presented is a loop which plays throughout the battle phases of the game. Utilising a full orchestra, the score immerses the player in the action with its driving rhythms and dramatic melodies. Musical themes developed with Hadi Rahmani, arranged and orchestrated by Billy Crook. See the gameplay on my YouTube channel.

Treevolution - Battle

A collection of Christmas Carols recorded in lockdown, during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst coronavirus may have knocked us down, nothing can shake the Christmas spirit. 
With thanks to Chessy Weiner, Tom Bartlett, Dan Evans and Ealish Green for providing their wonderful musical skills.

Once In Royal David's City

Billy Crook is a media composer, music educator and sound technician based in West Sussex. He has achieved a BA in Music at Durham University and an MA in Composition for Film and TV at the University of Bristol. He has worked in short film, documentary, animation and video games, with his portfolio continuously expanding through collaboration with exciting up-and-coming filmmakers. He has written for a variety of ensembles and scoring styles including chamber, orchestral, hybrid and electronic. With all his music, Billy seeks to tell stories, believing this to be music's central purpose.

Billy Crook

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