LMO have recently completed a 30 track album project named Portrait of my Love with Russian artist Alexander Kogan at Abbey Road studios.

The schedule started with an LMO Big Band recording classics including Can’t take my Eyes off You, Smile and Something in the Way She Moves, subsequently moving onto great Sinatra hits such as New York, New York, Fly Me to the Moon and I’m a Fool to Want You. The Band comprised 5 saxes (2 alto, 2 tenor and baritone), 4 trumpets and 4 trombones for 6 sessions over 3 days in Abbey Road studio 2 and the engineer was Jonathan Allen. Pat Clahar (tenor Sax), Simon Gardner (trumpet and flugelhorn), and Pete Beachill (trombone) also contributed improvised solos on several of the tracks.

LMO then moved to Studio 1 at Abbey Road with engineer Andy Dudman for orchestral overlaying on the Big Band tracks, string charts and other orchestral introductions, endings and effects. The orchestra comprised 40 strings (12 first violins, 10 seconds, 8 violas, 6 celli and 4 double basses), 2 flutes and alto flute, oboe, 2 clarinets and bass clarinet, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 tenor and bass trombones and harp. Rita Manning led LMO and recorded several violin solos and Caroline Dale contributed cello solos. Extensive percussion overdubs were recorded by Frank Ricotti.

Andy Brown conducted all the sessions and they were produced by Los Angeles based Sony songwriter / producer Lee Horrocks.

Portrait of my Love will be released on a major record label later this year.

Portrait of my Love from Andy Brown on Vimeo

The Young Victoria won an Oscar in the recent ceremony in Los Angeles for best costumes. The film, which LMO recorded in 2008 also won 2 British Academy Of Film And Television Arts awards (Costume Design and Make up & Hair) in an awards evening at The Royal Opera House, London.

Click here for more information about the LMO recordings

Click here for an in depth interview with John Corigliano and his rejected score for Edge Of Darkness which he recorded with LMO in April 2009. It was one of the finest scores that LMO have recorded in recent years and Corigliano describes LMO as an “extraordinary orchestra”.

LMO recently recorded Dark Matter which was directed by Bille Erlington – another film for ITV’s new Lewis series.

This incredibly popular series, now in its fourth season, stars Kevin Whately as Inspector Lewis and Laurence Fox as DS James Hathaway.

Barrington Pheloung used a 17 piece string section with flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and harp for his underscore which was recorded at Abbey Road studio 2. Matt Slater assisted Barrington with score preparation and production. LMO was led by David Juritz and the session was engineered by Paul Golding.

Kick-Ass tells the story of Dave Lizewski, an average high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a super-hero, even though he has no powers, training or even a meaningful reason to do so..

Matthew Vaughn’s latest film stars Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong and Chloe Moretz and is produced by Marv films and Plan B Entertainment. It was filmed in Canada, New York City and London.

LMO worked with no fewer than four different composers on Kick-Ass – Ilan Eshkeri, Marius De Vries, John Murphy and Henry Jackman.

The score was recorded over 8 sessions at Air Lyndhurst and Abbey Road studios. There were 5 string sessions with the largest group involving 48 strings (14 first violins, 12 second violins, 10 violas, 8 celli and 4 double basses). The first of these sessions also called for double woodwind (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets and 2 bassoons). The brass were recorded separately in 3 sessions, the largest of which used 6 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 tenor trombones, 2 bass trombones and tuba doubling cimbasso. LMO was led in the various sessions by Perry Montague-Mason, Tom Bowes and Jackie Shave and conducted by Gavin Greenaway and Andy Brown. Steve Mclaughlin produced all the sessions.

Distributed by Lionsgate, Kick-Ass got a worldwide release on March 12 in the US.

Kick-Ass from Andy Brown on Vimeo

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll tells the story of Ian Dury, who, after being stricken with polio at an early age, rose to become one of the leading lights in Britain’s punk – rock scene in the late 1970’s with his band Ian Dury and the Blockheads. It stars Ray Winstone, Olivia Williams and Andy Serkis (as Ian Dury) and is directed by Mat Whitecross.

Chas Jankel used a small group for the orchestral part of the soundtrack, comprising 6 violins, 3 violas, 3 celli and piano (played by Sally Heath). Jackie Shave led LMO which was conducted by Andy Brown and Steve McLaughlin was the engineer / co producer with Ilan Eshkeri. The score was recorded at Air Lyndhurst Hall. The rest of the soundtrack, not surprisingly, is made up of Ian Dury and the Blockheads hits many of which were co- written by Chas Jankel, including Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.

Lipsync Productions, the Prescience Film Council and the UK Film Council are the Production Companies involved in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll and was released in the UK early in January 2010.

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll from Andy Brown on Vimeo

LMO recently recorded Falling Darkness – another film for ITV’s new Lewis series.

This incredibly popular series, now in its fourth season, stars Kevin Whately as Inspector Lewis and Laurence Fox as DS James Hathaway and Falling Darkness is directed by Nick Renton.

Barrington Pheloung used a 17 piece string section with flute doubling bass flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and harp for his underscore which was recorded at Abbey Road studio 1. Matt Slater assisted Barrington with score preparation and production. LMO was led by Jackie Shave and the session was engineered by Paul Golding.

LMO recently completed recordings for Cranford series 2, the Bafta and Emmy award winning BBCTV mini series.

Cranford is a period drama starring Dame Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Julia McKenzie and Alex Etel and is produced by Sue Birtwistle and Kate Harwood. It was filmed mainly on location in Lacock, Wiltshire.

LMO was privileged to be working for the first time with celebrated composer and conductor Carl Davis who wrote a chamber score for Cranford featuring 4 violins, 2 violas, 2 celli, double bass, single woodwind, horn and harp. The strings (led by Tom Bowes) each had individual parts and there were significant cello solos from LMO principal Caroline Dale. Catherine Edwards (piano), John Barclay (trumpet) and Paul Clarvis (percussion) made further contributions to the score which was recorded at British Grove studios. Carl Davis conducted the sessions and Steve McLaughlin was the engineer / music producer.

Cranford was recently broadcast on BBC 1.

Cranford from Andy Brown on Vimeo

Heartbreaker, directed by Pascal Chaumeil and starring Vanessa Paradis and Andrew Lincoln is a comedy which tells the story of two siblings who run a business designed to break up relationships. A rich man hires them to stop the wedding of his daughter which is happening in a week’s time…

Klaus Badelt scored a single orchestral session with LMO for Heartbreaker which involved 30 strings (10 first violins, 8 second violins, 6 violas, 4 celli and 2 double basses) at Abbey Road studio 1. Andy Brown conducted LMO which was led by Tom Bowes. Jake Jackson engineered the session which was co produced by Klaus Badelt and Chris Brooks on a link from Abbey Road to their studio in Los Angeles.

Heartbreaker was filmed in Marrakech, Morocco, Monte Carlo and Paris and you can see it from April 2010 under a distribution deal with Focus Features.

Heartbreaker from Andy Brown on Vimeo

It is Britain A.D.117 and a group of Roman soldiers have to fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is decimated in a devastating guerrilla attack..

Centurion, directed by Neil Marshall, stars Michael Fassbender, Dominic West and Olga Kurylenko and was filmed at Shepperton studios, Ealing Studios and extensively on location at the Glenfeshie Estate, Kincraig in the Scottish Highlands.

Ilan Eshkeri scored for 30 strings (12 violins, 8 violas, 6 celli and 4 double basses) over 2 sessions with a subsequent brass session featuring 4 horns, trumpet, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone and tuba. Andy Brown conducted LMO which was led by Tom Bowes and the sessions took place at Abbey Road studio 1. Steve McLaughlin engineered and co -produced the score with Teese Gohl and Ilan Eshkeri. Further overdub contributions were made at Abbey Road by John Kenny  playing a highly unusual Scottish instrument called the Carnyx, and at North Pole studios with Mike Taylor (bodhrán) and Gill Tingay (celtic harp).

Centurion was released in the UK in April 2010 by Celador Films.

Centurion from Andy Brown on Vimeo