In its simplest form, the concept of sound remains meaningless without an understanding or at least a concept of vision. Even on radio, the pictures created in one’s imagination are normally better than any theatrical production but nevertheless vital to its meaning. Throughout his career, writer, broadcaster, historian and composer Neil Brand has been fascinated by the power of sound and music and its ability to capture a feeling or a time in history.
Since the very dawn of time, music has always acted as a barometer to chart the fashion and fads of society and popular music exclusively exists in the form of supply and demand. This appeals to the natural inquisitor in Brand and is possibly the primary driving force behind his passion. From Mozart to Taylor Swift, the way that music is spread says a great deal about social dynamics and the way we interact with culture. Growing up on the south coast of England, the young Neil realised his passion when he first watched a Laurel and Hardy film and fell in love with the dynamic between them. With a soaring passion for the career of the legendary Rick Wakeman, Neil had his sights firmly set on a career in music. At this point, the art of silent films had never entered his mind and it was only when he was approached by an arts centre in the south of England who were Despite being so tense in years, he was able to understand that irrespective of the situation, Stan and Ollie would always find themselves in a crisis and the comedy arose from watching them attempt to solve it. Growing up on the south coast of England, the world of Laurel and Hardy seemed far away from England in the late 1960s. Yet for Neil, this became the subject of his fascination.
The very mention of sound in relation to silent films, for many, is a contradiction. Yet the adoption of music in such moments of drama frequently has the ability to further build the tension. This is what fascinates Neil about the power of silent movies. Indeed there is an argument to suggest that Brand’s whole repertoire is essentially based upon the removal of a sensory function. Whether it’s the dissection of silent movies where obviously sound is missing or the art of radio where the visuals are omitted, removing one sense naturally puts another dimension to the art of storytelling. This link between the two mediums isn’t always obvious but it’s only hearing Neil’s account that you realise just how intrinsically entwined the two are. Radio creates a sense of intimacy which is difficult to replicate in any other medium as a result of the direct connection it makes between performer and audience. Likewise, silent films also rely heavily on the audience to fill in the obvious gaps between the action.
His recent nationwide tour has reunited Brand with the magic of Laurel and Hardy as he treats audiences to a spectacular of the senses simply with him, a piano and selected scenes from the Laurel and Hardy collection. Having seen his show a few times, I’m forever struck by the way that Brand lures an audience in simply as a result of his performance at the piano which is the perfect complement to Stan and Ollie’s various antics. It’s only here where you realise just how significant music is in conveying a story and the drama it creates. In this sense, the missing sound is always replaced by another, whether that’s in your head or as a musical accompaniment. Just like on radio where the pictures are always better, silent movies always require the audience to do a lot of the heavy lifting and therefore Brand’s work aims to take some of the strain.
Running a local cinema on the south coast alongside a group of friends in the early 1980’s first ignited Neil’s passion for silent films after a customer requested a showing of Buster Keaton. This was the first time that he had been witnessed to the art and was a complete revelation. With a fascination with the music of Rick Wakeman, Neil set about incorporating the music which he had grown up with into 1920’s Hollywood. This may be a strange concept for ardent fans of silent film but the adoption of music ironically enhances the action and puts emphasis on the elements that get to the crux of the drama. Being lucky enough to have witnessed the show myself at the Talking Pictures festival 2024, I felt that it was easier to understand the narrative of the comedy simply as a result of Neil’s music because it provided an extra sensory layer to the film. It was here that I realised the intricacies of creating a soundtrack that complements the story and Brand is one of the best in the business.
Beyond music, Neil is also a documentary maker and has fronted the popular BBC Four series The Sound Of… where he focuses on a particular genre of entertainment and sets about exploring the impact that music has had on it. In 2013 he launched The Sound of Cinema where he looked at the great film composers from John Barry to Vangelis and charted the evolution of the quintessential film score. This three part documentary explored the often entwined, intimate relationship between sound and vision. From Chariots Of Fire to Jaws, the soundtrack of a movie is arguably one of the most, if not the most memorable aspect of the production and Neil was fascinated to learn just how deeply rooted this concept was.
The success of The Sound of Cinema has spawned two further series. In 2018 Neil returned to BBC Four to front The Sound of Movie Musicals which explored the evolution of the genre from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Moulin Rouge. In the age of Frozen, The Greatest Showman and La La Land, it was fascinating to chart the story of the movie musical from Singing In The Rain to Greese and view how each generation reinvented the genre. With Neil’s analytical, technical ear, he was able to perfectly take the audience on a journey through a whole century of musical theatre and analyse the social context of our beloved musicals. Accompanied by a grand piano, Neil can take an audience to any moment in history just by playing a chord and that’s a real talent.
His final instalment of The Sound Of…trilogy focused upon a subject that I’m hugely passionate about. I have always believed that TV theme tunes are one of the most important aspects of a programme and have the ability to entice the viewer in. In 2020 Neil embarked on a series which told the story of the British television theme tune and examined their significance to the popularity of a show. From Coronation Street to Antiques Roadshow, the feelings attributed to hearing a well known TV theme will influence our decision to watch the following show. For this, Neil toured the country in the search of some answers to why theme tunes are so important to the history of British television. On his travels he orchestrated a brass band to play the theme from Coronation Street outside the Rovers Return which was one of the highlights of his career and was a fitting way to end this celebration of TV music.
Faced with summing up Neil Brand’s vast achievements to entertainment, the risk of omitting a significant milestone in his career is too frightening to fathom. He’s a: composer, pianist, musical historian, writer, broadcaster, radio presenter and producer but all of his work is driven by an unbridled passion for music and entertainment. In an era when fame seems to be a transient concept, it’s reassuring to know that there are still dedicated individuals like Neil who are able to give us much needed culture and legitimacy to the manufactured entertainment that is now embedded within the psyche of the nation. It was a great pleasure to welcome the polymath Neil Brand to Beyond The Title and I’m already looking forward to the next time!
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