Patrick Doyle (born 6 April 1953) is a Scottish film composer with Irish heritage. A longtime collaborator of actor-director

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus t ...

, Doyle is known for his work composing for films such as '' Henry V'', '' Sense and Sensibility'', ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...

'', ''

Carlito's Way ''Carlito's Way'' is a 1993 American crime drama film directed by Brian De Palma, based on the novels '' Carlito's Way'' (1975) and '' After Hours'' (1979) by Judge Edwin Torres. The film adaptation was scripted by David Koepp. It stars Al Pac ...

'', and '' Gosford Park'', as well as ''

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the fourth novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. It follows Harry Potter, a wizard in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and ...

'', '' Rise of the Planet of the Apes'', ''

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing ...

'', ''

Brave Brave most commonly refers to: *Brave, an adjective for one who possesses courage *Braves (Native Americans), a EuroAmerican stereotype for Native American warriors Brave(s) or The Brave(s) may also refer to: Film and television * ''Brave'' (199 ...

'', ''

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

'', and ''

Murder on the Orient Express ''Murder on the Orient Express'' is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934. In the ...

''. Doyle has been nominated for two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

and two

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

, and is the recipient of the ASCAP Henry Mancini Award for "outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of film and television music". Doyle has scored films for renowned directors including

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...

, Ang Lee, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell,

Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leadin ...

Chen Kaige Chen Kaige (; born 12 August 1952) is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema.Berry, Michael (2002). "Chen Kaige: Historical Revolution and Cinematic Rebellion" in Speaking in Images: Interviews wi ...

, Amma Asante,

Régis Wargnier Régis Wargnier (; born 18 April 1948) is a French film director, film producer, screenwriter and film score composer. His 1992 film '' Indochine'' won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 65th Academy Awards. His 1995 '' ...

and

Life and career

Early life

Doyle was born on 6 April 1953 in Uddingston,

South Lanarkshire gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas , image_skyline = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms_slanarkshire.jpg , image_blank_emblem = Slanarks.jpg , blank_emblem_type = Council logo , image_map ...

, Scotland. He is a classically trained composer who studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, of which he was made a Fellow in 2001.

Film career

Doyle joined

's Renaissance Theatre Company in 1987 as composer and musical director composing for plays such as ''

'', ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has ...

'', and ''

Look Back in Anger ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) is a realist play written by John Osborne. It focuses on the life and marital struggles of an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, Jimmy Porter, and his equally competent yet i ...

''. It was here that Doyle established his relationship with

, scoring his first film, '' Henry V'', in 1989. The song " Non Nobis, Domine" from '' Henry V'' was subsequently awarded the 1989 Ivor Novello Award for Best Film Theme. He has since composed for fourteen more

films including '' Dead Again'' (1991), ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' (1993), '' Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'' (1994), ''

'' (1996), ''

Love's Labour's Lost ''Love's Labour's Lost'' is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and his three companions as ...

'' (2000), ''

'' (2006), '' Sleuth'' (2007), ''

'' (2011), '' Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit'' (2014), ''

'' (2015), ''

'' (2017), and ''

Artemis Fowl ''The Fowl Adventures'' is a series of eleven fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer revolving around various members of the Fowl family. The first cycle, ''Artemis Fowl'', follows elf LEP recon officer Holly Short as she faces th ...

'' (2020). In October 1997, shortly after composing for ''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip (Great Expectations), Pip (the book is a ''bildungsroman''; a coming-of-age story). It ...

'', directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Doyle was diagnosed with

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...

. He managed to write the entire score for the animated fantasy '' Quest for Camelot'' (1998) in hospital whilst undergoing treatment, and he eventually made a full recovery. Other films scored by Doyle in the 1990s have since become cult gangster films, such as

’s '' Carlito’s Way'' (1993), and Mike Newell’s ''

Donnie Brasco Joseph Dominick Pistone (born September 17, 1939), is an American former FBI agent who worked undercover as Donnie Brasco between September 1976 and July 1981, as part of an infiltration primarily into the Bonanno crime family, and to a lesser ...

'' (1997). In the 2000s, Doyle went on to compose for iconic British movies such as '' Bridget Jones’ Diary'' (2001), '' Gosford Park'' (2001) and '' Calendar Girls'' (2003). Doyle collaborated with Mike Newell again when scoring ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' in 2005. In the 2010s, he composed scores for Hollywood blockbusters including ''

'' (2011), '' Rise of the Planet of the Apes'' (2011) and ''Cinderella'' (2015). Other notable works by Doyle include his scores for family movies such as ''

'' (2012), '' Nanny McPhee'' (2005) and ''A Little Princess'' (1995). Doyle has scored multiple films for celebrated French director

on films including '' Indochine'' (1992), ''Une femme française'' (1995) and ''Est-ouest'' (1999). Doyle's scores for '' Indochine'' and ''Est-ouest'' were both nominated for a César Award for Best Music Written for a Film.

Life

Doyle lives with his wife Lesley, with whom he has four children.

Artist collaborations

Doyle regularly collaborates with artists from other fields in his scores. From the classical music world, Plácido Domingo sang "In Pace" on ''

'' and Jane Eaglen sang "Weep You No More Sad Fountains" on ''Sense & Sensibility'', with both films earning Doyle Oscar nominations for Best Film Score. Pop artists Doyle has collaborated with include Jarvis Cocker on ''

'', as well as Pulp and

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

on ''

.'' Doyle also co-wrote the song "Never Forget" with

for ''Murder on the Orient Express'', which was performed by Michelle Pfeiffer.

Concert works

Patrick Doyle’s ''Music from the Movies'' concert, in aid of Leukaemia Research UK, was staged at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in 2013. It was directed by

and written by Daniel Hill and included appearances from Emma Thompson,

Sir Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as ''Hamlet'', ''Much Ado About Nothing'', ''Macbeth'', ''Twelfth Night'', '' The Tempest'', ''King ...

, Dame Judi Dench, Alan Rickman,

Imelda Staunton Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre produ ...

Richard E. Grant Richard E. Grant (born Richard Grant Esterhuysen; 5 May 1957) is a Swazi-English actor and presenter. He made his film debut as Withnail in the comedy ''Withnail and I'' (1987). Grant received critical acclaim for his role as Jack Hock in Marie ...

Adrian Lester Adrian Anthony Lester (born Anthony Harvey; 14 August 1968) is a British actor, director and writer. He is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award, an Evening Standard Theatre Award and a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for his work on the L ...

, and

Robbie Coltrane Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor and comedian. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. H ...

, with music from Doyle's scores performed by the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

. Doyle’s work was celebrated in two concerts at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow in 2019, both performed by the

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) is a Scottish broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), it is the oldest full-time professional ra ...

and conducted by Dirk Brossé. The first concert was the world’s first live performance to film of the music Doyle composed for

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...

’s ''Brave'', which took place at the Glasgow Concert Hall. The second, “Patrick Doyle – A Celebration,” took place at the Glasgow City Halls and featured two original works composed by Doyle for the concert – "Sweet Rois of Vertew" and "Scottish Overture". This concert also featured a performance of "Corarsik", a solo violin piece he originally composed for Emma Thompson’s 50th birthday. Doyle has composed numerous original concert pieces. These include "The Thistle and the Rose," a song cycle commissioned by Prince Charles in honour of the

Queen Mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also used to describe a number of ...

’s 90th birthday, produced by

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the " Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the B ...

and premiered at Buckingham Palace; "The Face In The Lake", commissioned by Sony and narrated by

Kate Winslet Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films, particularly period dramas, and for her portrayals of headstrong and complicated women, she has received numerous accolades, incl ...

; and "Tam O Shanter," commissioned by the Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust. Syracuse International Film Festival commissioned Doyle to write a film score for the classic silent movie ‘'' It''’ in 2012. Several French film festivals have hosted Doyle as their guest of honour - including Festival international du film d'Aubagne where ''

'' was screened, Festival International Musique et Cinéma à Auxerre Congrexpo, and the 1er Salon du Cinema.

Recorded works

In 2013, Doyle composed an original concert suite, ''Impressions of America,'' released by

Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as well as newer ...

. This received its world premiere in 2012 with the National Schools Symphony Orchestra, of which Doyle is a patron. Doyle recorded a solo piano album in 2015, performing pieces from his film scores to date, also released by

. In 2020, Doyle contributed the opening track "Château Ferguson" to the album ''Fresh Air… Breathe In'' in aid of the not-for-profit organisation Breathe Arts Health Research in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Awards

In June 2013, at the twenty-eighth annual Film & Television Music Awards, Doyle was presented with the ASCAP Henry Mancini Award in recognition of his "outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of film and television music".

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

President and Chairman Paul Williams observed, "Patrick Doyle's extensive body of work is some of the most compelling and affective in the industry. His flawless ability to cross genres in film, TV and beyond is why he can successfully score everything from ''Carlito's Way'' to ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire''." In October 2015, Doyle received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Soundtrack Academy during the Gent Film Festival in Belgium.

Life and career

Early life

Film career

Life

Artist collaborations

Concert works

Recorded works

Awards

Filmography

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links