Composition and Arranging


Some of my arrangements and compositions are available from Sheet Music Plus and can be found on the Odd Shoe Music page.

Currently, I am being kept busy arranging Horn Section parts for Big Vern and the City Of Soul Horns.

Soul/ Pop/ Rock

I have produced horn section arrangements for recordings and gigs for Big Vern ’n’ The Shootahs, City Of Soul, Wet Wet Wet, Danny Wilson, Gallagher & Lylle, The Fratellis and Abel Ganz amongst others.

I also arrange full band parts for my band coaching projects.

This is a list of arrangements and transcriptions for the HJBs - HJB Set List.

Big Band

Happy_GSBB

These are almost all unusual arrangements in a different feel from the original version and/or with a “mash up” treatment.

Pack Up/Don’t Worry Be Happy - Eliza Doolittle/Bobby McFerrin
Summertime - George Gershwin
She Said - Plan B
Feeling Good - Nina Simone
Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5
Superstition - Stevie Wonder
Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles
Pencil Full Of Lead - Paolo Nutini
The Chicken - Pee Wee Russell
Toxic - Britney Spears
Happy - Pharrell Williams
Soul Bossa - Quincy Jones
Big Bad Handsome Man - Imelda May
Morning Dew - Bonnie Dobson
Life On Mars - David Bowie
Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Ashford and Simpson
Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce
Dear Santa - Far In Jim
Girlfriend - Michael Jackson
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - Nat Simon and Jimmy Kennedy
Monsters Inc Theme - Randy Newman
Nature Boy - Eden Ahbez
River Deep - Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich










JohnSil

I have arranged or composed music for The Royal Scottish Orchestra conducted by Carl Davis, The BBC Brass Quintet, and The Representative band of the Norwegian Armed Forces among many others.

Here’s a selection of original pieces written for specific groups and commissions.

Wind Band

Bach To Funk, Point Of Extension, Haw Naw Blues

Big Band

Air - Spring

Brass Quintet

Cordon Blue, Cordon Two, Almost Never On A Sunday, Venus De Milne, Carla The Kameleon, Miles From Bach, Momentary Blues.

Trombone Quartet


Chorale, Free For All, Song

Trombone Choir and Vocal Choir


Kirking Of The Council

Wind Trio

Nine Spaces, Acute Wind



JohnSil




and some arrangements …….

Brass Quintet


Music For The Royal Fireworks (Complete) - Handel, Thunderbirds, Melancholia,

Trombone Choir with Rhythm Section


When The Saints - I used this as an exercise in recording - Scored for 10 trombones, guitar, piano, bass and drums.
I played all of the instruments except the drums which is one of my early (not great) efforts at midi programming!
Thunderbirds, Soul Bossa, Soul Intro/The Chicken