Phil Lawrence, Composer & Arranger for Brass Music

Phil Lawrence

Composer

Phil Lawrence was born in Liverpool and was taught trumpet to begin from his father Walter, who was ex-SA, as were his parents. Liverpool offered much in the music education scheme, and at 13, Phil was playing with all youth orchestras like the Merseyside Youth Orchestra along with Simon Rattle and bands under teachers such as Bill Flood, Bob Dean, Mel Smallwood, and later principal of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Alan Stringer MBE.

While at school, Phil arranged material for his school playing friends, and the pen was to always play a background part to his playing. At 18, he took on his first pro gig with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under his teacher Alan Stringer. After A’ levels and diplomas, he attended as a postgrad at the Royal Northern College of Music under John Dickenson and later Howard Snell. At that time, Phil was also freelancing with The Hallé, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. He moved to London to play with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and later also playing with the Philharmonia, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Ulster under Jack (Bryden) Thompson.

The pen took over in the early 80’s while assembling his own studio tote TV advertisement tracks for The Times, Nike, Smarties, Wrigley’s, Guinness, The Sun, NOTW and Ibuleve, and since 2007 he has written 7 film scores, including the restoration of Nosferatu (1922) and Dracula (1931).

In 2007, he was offered composer in residence with The Fairey Band, and a CD was born, «It’s Not Unusual» under the baton of Frank Renton. Also, Richard Marshall’s solo CD with Grimethorpe was given the title of Phil’s cornet concerto «BLAZE» which has so far been given the reputation of being the most difficult concerto ever written for cornet/trumpet, as well as the work being nominated by the British Academy of composers in conjunction with BBC Radio 3 for a BSACA prize. Phil’s fantasy piece «A Day in the Life of a Knight» was chosen for 1st section areas in 2023, which proved to be very popular as well as a musical challenge. In 2014, he took the post of Head of Postgraduate Film Composition at Leeds College of Music, and also in 2014, he was given a commission by the RAF to compose a work for their centenary concert at the Albert Hall in 2018. In 2017, Phil moved to France.