David Arnold facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Arnold
Arnold at the BMI Awards in May 2011
Background information
Born	(1962-01-23) 23 January 1962 (age 63) Luton, England
Genres	Film score
Occupation(s)	Composer
Instruments	Clarinet guitar piano
Years active	1993–present

David Arnold (born 23 January 1962) is a famous English composer who writes music for movies and TV shows. He is well-known for creating the music for five James Bond films between 1997 and 2008. He also composed scores for popular movies like Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), and Godzilla (1998).

David Arnold has also worked on TV series such as Little Britain and Sherlock. He won a Grammy Award for his music in Independence Day. For Sherlock, he and co-composer Michael Price won an Emmy Award for the episode "His Last Vow". He also composed the music for the BBC / Amazon Prime series Good Omens (2019). David Arnold is a member of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

David Arnold's Musical Journey

Starting Out in Music

David Arnold became friends with director Danny Cannon while they were in college in Luton. David started writing music for Danny's short films. Their first big movie together was The Young Americans. A song from this film, "Play Dead", which featured singer Björk, became a hit in the UK.

The next year, David composed music for Stargate and Last of the Dogmen. Parts of the Stargate soundtrack became very popular for use in movie trailers.

Composing for Big Movies and TV Shows

David Arnold continued to work with Stargate director Roland Emmerich on his next two major films: Independence Day and Godzilla. He also composed music for four movies directed by John Singleton.

Besides these big action films, David has written music for many comedies, dramas, and historical movies. He has also created music for several British TV shows, including Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Little Britain. His music is often conducted by Nicholas Dodd during film production. In 2010, he composed the music for Come Fly With Me, a British TV series from the creators of Little Britain.

David is a member of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA), which supports songwriters and composers. In 2012, he received an honorary degree from the University of West London. This means he will work closely with the university, especially with the London College of Music.

Live Music Performances

David Arnold performed his first orchestral concert, featuring his movie and TV music, in London in July 2014. The concert included Nicholas Dodd conducting and special guest singers.

He continued to perform his music in orchestral concerts in 2015 in cities like Dublin, Manchester, and London. These concerts often featured full orchestras playing his scores live while the films were shown. For example, in 2016, the Royal Albert Hall hosted the premiere of Independence Day Live. This event celebrated the film's 20th anniversary with a live orchestra playing the music as the movie played on screen.

In 2017, David hosted two more concerts in Dublin. One showcased his career in film and TV music, and the other was another Independence Day Live event. He also participated in the first James Bond film screening with a live orchestra, Casino Royale in Concert, at the Royal Albert Hall.

David Arnold and James Bond

Arnold at the Royal Albert Hall in London in October 2022 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He helped organize The Sound of 007 in Concert, celebrating 60 years of Bond films.

David Arnold was a big fan of James Bond movies and their original composer, John Barry, from a young age. In 1997, David created an album called Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project. This album featured new versions of classic James Bond themes performed by various modern artists.

John Barry himself praised David's album, saying he was "very flattered" by David's new interpretations. Because of this, Barry recommended David to Barbara Broccoli, the producer of the upcoming James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. David was hired to compose the music for this film. He even included musical nods to Barry's earlier Bond scores, like From Russia with Love, and, of course, the famous James Bond Theme.

David Arnold went on to compose the music for four more James Bond films:

• The World Is Not Enough
• Die Another Day
• Casino Royale
• Quantum of Solace

He also helped write the main theme songs for The World Is Not Enough ("The World Is Not Enough" by Garbage) and Casino Royale ("You Know My Name" by Chris Cornell).

David did not compose the music for the 23rd James Bond film, Skyfall, as director Sam Mendes chose Thomas Newman. However, some of David's music from Casino Royale was reused in Skyfall and SPECTRE.

Other Interesting Projects

David Arnold has worked with many different musicians and bands, including Massive Attack and Pulp. He also produced an album for the legendary singer Shirley Bassey in 2009.

In 2001, he created a new version of the famous Doctor Who theme music for audio dramas featuring the Eighth Doctor. This version was used for several years.

David is also an ambassador for CARE International, an organization that helps people in need around the world. He has even made small appearances in two episodes of Little Britain.

In 2011, David Arnold was chosen to be the Musical Director for the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. This was a huge role, overseeing all the music for these major international events.

In 2014, David teamed up with Richard Thomas to write the music and lyrics for the West End musical Made in Dagenham.

More recently, in 2023, it was announced that David Arnold would work with singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor and lyricist Don Black on a song for the film "Mog's Christmas". The song, "As Long As I Belong", is about the importance of feeling like you belong.

Acting Roles

David Arnold has made a few small acting appearances:

Film Music

Here are some of the films David Arnold has composed music for:

Television Music

Here are some of the TV shows David Arnold has composed music for:

Video Game Music

Awards and Recognition

David Arnold has received several important awards for his music:

• Won: Grammy Award – Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television – for Independence Day
• Won: Ivor Novello Awards – Best International Film Score for The World Is Not Enough
• Won: Ivor Novello Awards – BASCA Fellowship (2005)
• Nominated: BAFTA Award – Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music – for Casino Royale
• Won: Emmy Award - Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special – for Sherlock ("His Last Vow") (with Michael Price)

See also

In Spanish: David Arnold para niños