About

Ben Castle is an award-winning musician (saxophones, clarinets and flutes), composer, arranger, songwriter and producer. He has worked with a vast array of artists across many genres, including Gregory Porter, Radiohead, Blur, Amy Winehouse, Quincy Jones, Villagers, Matthew Herbert, Little Simz, Stan Tracey, Jamie Cullum, Duke Special, Elton John, Paloma Faith, George Michael, Matthew E White, Grace Jones, Lianne La Havas, Sting, Marlena Shaw and Jools Holland, and has featured on countless film and TV scores for top composers, including John Williams, Hans Zimmer, David Arnold, James Newton Howard, Stephen Sondheim, Gabriel Yared, and David Brent among many others. He currently features heavily on the soundtracks for the Netflix series ‘Sex Education’, BBC’s ‘Staged’ & ‘Motherland’ and Channel 4’s ‘Toast of London’. (Full list of shameless namedropping below).

With Ben’s love and grasp of so many styles of music and his ability to blur the genre lines, he has become a sought-after composer. He has written music and songs for film, TV, theatre, and adverts, as well as music and songs for his own projects, and for other artists. Most recently, he scored the Grammy Award winning film ‘Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story’ with Paul Pilot for Sony Pictures. He contributed some additional music to Aoife Crehan’s 2019 film ‘The Last Right’ and to the BBC series ‘Everything I Know About Love’ and was the composer and musical director for ‘Double Feature’ at The National Theatre in London. The song ‘Wrapped Around Your Little Finger’, written with Beth Rowley for Lone Scherfig’s 2009 film ‘An Education’, made it onto the Oscar nomination shortlist. Ben was also one of the musicians who jumped up out of the pews in the Love Actually wedding scene.

His own albums are an eclectic mixture of all the things he doesn’t get to play elsewhere, and the influences he’s picked up along the way. His trad jazz inspired band ‘The Tombola Theory’ were described by Jamie Cullum as “Punk Trad” when they performed live from Maida Vale for his BBC2 Radio show. They have a new album brewing. ‘The Heckler’ from his 2004 record ‘Blah Street’ won first prize in the International Songwriting Competition jazz category, judged by Pat Metheny. Weather Report’s Joe Zawinul asked Ben if he could record his own version of the tune, but sadly died before he had the chance.

In 2023, ‘Ben Castle and the Blah Street Band‘ released ‘An EP’. It’s a collection of preposterous versions of well known jazz standards, with guest appearances from Matt Berry, Beth Rowley and Roy Castle, released on Ben Castle’s Major Record Label in the Spring.

Ben has played and/or recorded with/for -

ARTISTS

Gregory Porter / Radiohead / Blur / Stan Tracey / Quincy Jones / Sting / Amy Winehouse / Diana Ross / Nick Cave / Lianne La Havas / George Michael / Paloma Faith / Tony Bennett / Paul Weller / Dizzee Rascal / Grace Jones / Father John Misty / Harry Connick Jr / Marlena Shaw / Culture Club / Sinead O’Connor / John Dankworth / Cleo Laine / Matthew Herbert / Duke Special / Elton John / Martha Wainwright / Rufus Wainwright / Gloria Estefan / Andy Williams / Laura Mvula / Shane MacGowan / Jamie Cullum / Hawkwind / Jools Holland / Annie Lennox / Villagers / Little Simz / Nakhane / Boy George / Debbie Harry / Kenny Wheeler / Eddi Reader / Tim Minchin / Diana Krall / Johnny Mathis / Matthew E White / Chrissie Hynde / Crowded House / Steve Mason / KD Lang / Kurt Elling / James Morrison / Humphrey Lyttelton / The Divine Comedy / Carleen Anderson / Keane / James Yorkston / Kylie Minogue / Michael Bublé / Jarvis Cocker / Me'shell Ndegeocello / Curtis Stigers / Paul Anka / Ezra Furman / Julian Argüelles / Guillemots / Tom Jones / Geroge Ezra / Becky Hill / Will Young / Supergrass / Sophie Ellis-Bextor / Steven Wilson / Paul Brady / Imelda May / Mike Scott / Foxygen / Natalie Prass / Russell Brand / Paolo Nutini / Madness / Swing Out Sister / I Am Kloot / Matt Berry / Ed Harcourt / Lisa Stansfield / Beverly Knight / Patrick Wolf / Fontella Bass / Lalo Schifrin / Luke Sital-Singh / Kyle Eastwood / Gloria Gaynor / David Brent / Eumir Deodato / Steve Hackett / Ella Eyre / Kula Shaker / Beth Rowley / Matt Lucas / Johnny Hallyday / Marillion / Rae Morris / John Newman / Georgie Fame / Alan Broadbent / Angelique Kidjo / The Vamps / Sweet Billy Pilgrim / Lalah Hathaway / Go West / The Brand New Heavies / Aqualung / Cliff Richard / Foy Vance / Carl Barat / Pete Doherty / Robbie Williams / Jamie Lawson / Corinne Bailey Rae / Shirley Bassey / Victoria Wood / Will.i.am / Omar / Moloko / Polar Bear / Paul Carrack / Michael Bolton / Tim Garland / Incognito / Athlete / Katie Melua / Gary Barlow / Rumer / Roberto Carlos / Miles Kane / Dee Dee Bridgwater / Shaun Escoffery / The Drifters / Englebert Humperdinck / Mica Paris / Tony Christie / Arthur Brown / Ronan Keating / Shakin Stevens / Storm Corrosion / Guy Barker / Westlife / Rick Wakeman / The Young Punx / Freemasons / Fyfe Dangerfield / Reef / Sade / McFly / Steve Smith / The Overtones / 4 Hero / Embrace / Chris Botti / Marc Almond / Jessie J / Keziah Jones / Ollie Murs / No-Man / Toploader / Sandie Shaw

PRODUCERS

Larry Klein / Phil Ramone / Steve Albini / Nigel Godrich / Ethan Johns / Peter Asher / Hal Wilner / Marius De Vries / Leo Abrahams / Inflo / Trevor Horn / Steve Lipson / Iain Archer / Guy Chambers / Bob Ezrin / Bobby Colomby / Steve Power / Giles Martin / Dan Grech / Stewart Levine / Ian Broudie / Matt Hales / Steve Levine / John Rutter

COMPOSERS

John Williams / James Newton Howard / Hans Zimmer / Stephen Sondheim / David Arnold / Michael Giacchino / Stephen Warbeck / Murray Gold / Gabriel Yared / Matthew Herbert / George Fenton / Hannah Peel / Laurie Holloway / Damon Albarn / Ben Foster / Nick Foster / Pete Raeburn / Oli Julian / Philip Pope / Ray Monk / Adrian Johnston / Bob Chilcott / Lorne Balfe / Steve Sidwell / Rupert Gregson-Williams / Éric Neveux / Evan Jolly / Danny Elfman / Alex Baranowski / Jessica Jones / Tim Morrish

FILM/TV SOUNDTRACKS

Rocketman / An Education / Catch 22 / Michael Jackson: This Is It / Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban / Into The Woods / David Brent: Life On The Road / One Day / A Fantastic Woman / Good Omens / Gloria Bell / Madagascar 3 / The Crown / Staged / Sex Education / Toast Of London / The Tiger Who Came To Tea / The Illusionist / Photograph / How To Build A Girl / Blood Orange / Nina / Motherland / Penguins of Madagascar / Plebs / Timewasters / Sandy Wexler / Confetti / Episodes / Cuckoo / Still Game / Living The Dream / Ordinary Decent Criminal / Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang / Absolutely Anything / Chocolat (2016) / Hoodwinked 2 / Derren Brown: Apocalypse / Nicholas on Holiday / Journey 2: The Mysterious Island / Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism / Alfie (2004) / Mike Bassett: England Manager

COMPOSER

• Music for the Grammy Award winning ‘Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story’ with Paul Pilot for Sony Pictures, directed and produced by Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern

• Music for John Cleese’s Dinosaur Hour

• Additional music for BBC’s adaptation of Dolly Alderton’s ‘Everything I Know About Love’

• A few tunes for Aoife Crehan’s 2019 film ‘The Last Right’

• Advert music for Samsung, Vodafone, Just Eat, Lurpak, Bank of Ireland, 123.ie and more

• A co-write with Shri on his award winning 'Just A Vibration' album

• Music for Double Feature at The National Theatre

• 'Postmankind' - Prog Rock meets Jazz. A collaboration with Marillion's Ian Mosley

• Commissions including The Berkshire Youth Jazz Orchestra, Chaconne Brass Quintet and various jazz ensembles

Awards:

• 'The Heckler' from Ben's 'Blah Street' album won the jazz category of The International Songwriting Awards in 2003, judged by Pat Metheny and Arif Mardin.

• The music for the Lurpak Freestyle advert won: BTAA Craft Award - Gold, Shots Award - Silver, ClioAward - Bronze, Music + Sound Award

SONGWRITER

‘Solstice Song’, written with MayKay and Adam Matthews to end Una Mullaly’s ‘Grianstad’ for This Is Pop Baby.

Beth Rowley -

• 'You've Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger' commissioned and written for the Oscar nominated film 'An Education'. 

• 'Little Dreamer' - UK top ten album including the hit single 'Oh My Life' - BBC Radio 2 Record of the Week.

Duke Special - 'Tango Tangle' from 'The Silent World of Hector Mann'

Carleen Anderson - 'Night Falls' and 'Desiderata' from 'Alberta's Granddaughter' 

Tom Basden - songs from 'There Is A War' at The National Theatre

Clare Teal - 'Everything is You' from the film 'Confetti'

ARRANGER

Ben has had much experience of arranging music for orchestra, big band, brass section, string quartet, choir, brass band, woodwinds and he loves the challenge of writing for any combination of instruments.

Recent highlights include -

• Orchestral and choral arrangements for Midge Ure, Richard Hawley, Ash, Maverick Sabre, Camille O’Sullivan, Gerry Leonard, Fia Moon, Hothouse Flowers & the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for the RTÉ New Years Eve TV show.

• Orchestral arrangement for The Murder Capital for RTÉ Culture Night.

• Orchestration for Peter Raeburn’s score for ‘Untethered’, which won the Creative Circle award for Best Original Composition

• Additional arrangements for Mara Carlyle’s score for BBC’s ‘Everything I Know About Love’, including a version of Brass In Pocket, sung by Self Esteem

• Shri / Award winning Album / 'Just a Vibration' - arrangements for brass band + sitar + Shri

• Arrangements on albums for Gregory Porter, Lianne La Havas, George Ezra, Tom Chaplin, Herbert, Nakhane, David Brent, Jamie Lawson, Matthew Herbert’s Brexit Big Band, Duke Special

Previous highlights include -

Paolo Nutini / Boy George / Luke Sital-Singh / Mica Paris / Jamie Cullum / New Jackson / Culture Club / Kula Shaker / Carleen Anderson / Will Young / Ciaran Lavery / Beth Rowley / Cliff Richard / Marillion / Pop Idol / Matt Lucas (for Shooting Stars) / The Brand New Heavies / Julian Clary / Taboo - The Musical / The BBC Concert Orchestra / The BBC Big Band

Musical Director

• Murmuration at the National Concert Hall in Dublin - an experimental journey though songs and improvisation, featuring Saint Sister’s Gemma Doherty, Daoiri Farrell, Izumi Kimura, Rory Friers from And So I Watch You From Afar, MayKay, David Kitt and David Le'aupepe from Gang of Youths

• John Cleese’s Dinosaur Hour

• The Jimmy Kennedy Songbook for BBC - a concert program featuring Duke Special, Eddi Reader, James Yorkston, MayKay, Gareth Dunlop and Tabitha Agnew

• Will Young various gigs 2010 - 2018

• Double Feature at The National Theatre 2011

• Carleen Anderson 2001 - 2008

• Beth Rowley 2003 - 2009

• Pop Idol Tour 2002 Ben was the Musical Director for The Big Blue, the big band who accompanied the Pop Idol contestants on the TV show, arena tour and number one album. They were also the band who jumped up in the pews in the Love Actually wedding scene.

• An evening at the Albert Hall featuring many guests, including Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Emma Bunton.

Producer

• Katharine Timoney - 'Life Came into Colour' EP. ‘Don’t Fret’ from the EP was Jazz FM’s Breakfast Track of the Week and A-Listed for 4 weeks.

• Beth Rowley - 2 songs for the Oscar nominated film 'An Education', Beth Rowley EP, Sweet Hours EP & various bonus tracks

• Carleen Anderson - 'Alberta's Granddaughter' album

• Postmankind - instrumental album with Marillion's Ian Mosley featuring Steve Hackett, Steve Rothery and John Etheridge

Selected highlights of all of the above can be found on: