Composer Christopher Gunning Remembered in Concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra hosted by Poirot Actor Philip Jackson
On Sunday 10 March 2024, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra presents a concert dedicated to the memory of composer Christopher Gunning at London’s Cadogan Hall to raise funds for Help Musicians.
Christopher Gunning was one of the UK’s most versatile composers and wrote extensively for film, TV, commercials, and the concert hall. His long career took in arrangements for pop stars, famous commercial campaigns for Martini and Black Magic (among many others), TV credits including Middlemarch, Rebecca and Porterhouse Blue, movies including La Vie en Rose (for which he won a BAFTA) and, most popular of all, the theme for the TV series Poirot, starring David Suchet and Philip Jackson, which is loved by millions around the world. Gunning also wrote thirteen symphonies, numerous concertos and other concert works.
Gunning died in March 2023, aged 78, and in this special concert, friends, family, and beloved colleagues pay tribute to his extraordinary talent. The whole range of Gunning’s work will be represented, from adverts to symphonies and everything in between, performed by special guests and with memories from his friends and family.
Hosted by actor Philip Jackson (well-known for his role as Chief Inspector Japp in both the television series of Agatha Christie’s Poirot and in BBC Radio dramatisations of the Poirot stories), and under the baton of conductor Kenneth Woods, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by star soloists including guitarist John Williams; singer-songwriter Colin Blunstone, lead singer of the 1960s band the Zombies; oboist Verity Gunning-Olsson; pianist Dave Arch, best known as MD of Strictly Come Dancing; and cellist Richard Harwood among others.
The concert programme will include the theme from Poirot, iconic TV adverts for Martini and Black Magic and his concertos and symphonic works. The concert will also see the world premiere of Gunning’s Lament for Cello and Piano, written shortly before his death, and a complete performance of his Symphony No.10.
Tickets can be purchased here by CLICKING HERE. Profits from the concert will go directly to Help Musicians, a charity very close to Christopher Gunning’s heart. The charity supports professional musicians from all genres at times of crisis, in work and in retirement.
About Christopher Gunning
Christopher Gunning was a prolific British composer with a passion for writing large-scale symphonic works, more intimate concert pieces, and film and TV scores. In his concert music he developed an individual yet approachable, colourful, and highly expressive language which frequently gives his music a strongly dramatic and emotional flavour.
In film, he worked on a wide variety of productions, ranging from period to contemporary dramas and wildlife films, and won many awards for his work.
Gunning’s career continually developed since he studied composition with Edmund Rubbra and Richard Rodney Bennett at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Although he set out to be a composer of serious concert music, he soon became involved in the media, writing the scores for numerous commercials, television dramas, and films. He also provided characterful arrangements for well-known recording artists.
Highly regarded as a film and TV composer, Christopher Gunning is best known as the writer of the iconic signature theme for ‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot’ and evocative music for Olivier Dahan’s ‘La Vie En Rose.’ Often instantly recognisable, Gunning’s film and TV music also includes ‘Rosemary & Thyme’, ‘Goodbye Gemini’, ‘Wild Africa’, ‘Firelight’, ‘When the Whales Came’, ‘Karaoke’ and ‘Cold Lazarus’. With a career spanning 40 years, he was a recipient of four BAFTA Awards for ‘La Vie en Rose’, ‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot’, ‘Middlemarch’ and ‘Porterhouse Blue’, and three Ivor Novello Awards for ‘Rebecca’, ‘Under Suspicion’, and ‘Firelight’, and a Czech Lion for ‘La Vie En Rose’. He was also commissioned to write the score for ‘Grace of Monaco’ that was composed and recorded early in 2013. The film was directed by Olivier Dahan and stars Nicole Kidman and Tim Roth.
A collection of Gunning’s music for films and TV is to be found on the Chandos label: ‘The Film and TV Music of Christopher Gunning’. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Rumon Gamba.
Gunning later returned to the very different world of concert music and won high praise for his work. First came the Saxophone Concerto ‘On Hungerford Bridge’, recorded by leading saxophonist John Harle. It was inspired by a summer evening’s walk across Hungerford Bridge, when he heard a saxophonist busking against the sounds of the city. Gramophone Magazine remarked that it was ‘The most striking work, by far: this is a haunting work, ending as magnetically as it opens.’ This was closely followed by his First Piano Concerto, and Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2. But it was with Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4, and his Concerto for Oboe and Strings, released on the Chandos label, that Gunning really attracted attention.
Christopher Gunning’s knowledge and influences were widely eclectic and ranged from pop music, jazz and film music to Ravel, Bartok, Stravinsky, Ginastera and Lutoslawski. He argued that it should be possible to draw on various techniques to express a wide variety of emotions.
Gunning went on to compose six further symphonies following his fascination with a single-movement form broken into several sub-sections.
Gunning also enjoyed a vibrant career in conducting and worked with performers and ensembles such as guitarists John Williams and Craig Ogden, violinist Anja Bukovec, saxophonist John Harle, pianist Olga Dudnik, oboist Verity Gunning, flautist Catherine Handley, and clarinetist Michael Whight. He worked with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Mephisto ensemble, Fine Arts Brass, Manchester Camerata, Finchley Children’s Music Group, and Winchester College Choir.
Jim Pritchard writes: It was a pleasure to know the multi-talented and much-missed Christopher Gunning – if only virtually – when he reviewed for Seen and Heard International.