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Kevin Sargent
composer for film and television
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Kevin Sargent
composer for film and television




LATEST




BIRTH OF VALERIE VENUS BAGS TWO NEWFILMMAKERS LA AWARD NOMINATIONS





So thrilled that both my score and Jane Guernier‘s hilarious and mischievous
performance in Sarah Clift‘s comedy short The Birth of Valerie Venus have been
recognised for the tenth annual Best of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles awards, as
announced in Variety. The nominees are selected from the independent films
screened as part of monthly NFMLA Festivals ...
Read on >


BIRTH OF VALERIE VENUS BAGS TWO NEWFILMMAKERS LA AWARD NOMINATIONS




So thrilled that both my score and Jane Guernier‘s hilarious and mischievous
performance in Sarah Clift‘s comedy short The Birth of Valerie Venus have been
recognised for the tenth annual Best of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles awards, as
announced in Variety. The nominees are selected from the independent films
screened as part of monthly NFMLA Festivals during 2021. The Awards and their
prize fund honours the memory of producer Anthony Rhulen, the late founder of
FilmEngine Entertainment.




THE BEAKER GIRLS


A NEW GENERATION IN THE BEAKER UNIVERSE


Jacqueline Wilson’s perennial character Tracy Beaker returns to our screens in
THE BEAKER GIRLS. The new five-part series which I scored hits our screens this
December, featuring many familiar faces – Dani Harmer (Tracy) and Emma Maggie
Davies (bookish but tough Jess) and a few new ones like Jordan, played by
Chi-Megan Ennis. It’s a ...
Read on >


THE BEAKER GIRLS


A NEW GENERATION IN THE BEAKER UNIVERSE

Jacqueline Wilson’s perennial character Tracy Beaker returns to our screens in
THE BEAKER GIRLS. The new five-part series which I scored hits our screens this
December, featuring many familiar faces – Dani Harmer (Tracy) and Emma Maggie
Davies (bookish but tough Jess) and a few new ones like Jordan, played by
Chi-Megan Ennis. It’s a real emotional rollercoaster of a series which looks at
tough, genuine issues of identity, belonging and trust with a compassionate,
unflinching but always entertaining eye. The score featured mandolin, banjo,
ukelele, piano, Zebra softsynth and clarinet (Barnaby Robson). Photo here by
Simon Ridgway




DARK ELECTRONICA FOR ASTON MARTIN/BOWMORE LAUNCH






We went for some contained, nuanced electronica here – softsynths and sound
design mainly in the box.  Not the usual route-one car or drinks ad, something
more left-field and textural, with Stuart Douglas’s characteristically
photographic and elegant eye. Music composed, mixed and mastered at the
Newcastle studio. Someone said they’d listen to a whole album of this sort of
stuff. They’d better be careful; one day I’ll get off my backside and do that.




COURAGE IS BEAUTIFUL RECOGNISED FOR TOP HONOURS


CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS THE BRAVERY OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS DURING PANDEMIC


I am staggered at the response to this campaign, not only from the public but
how this purpose-driven material has been selected for many of the highest
awards in this business,  including the D&AD Yellow Pencil, the One Show Gold,
the Clio Silver and perhaps the industry’s highest accolade the Cannes Golden
Lion Grand Prix. ...
Read on >


COURAGE IS BEAUTIFUL RECOGNISED FOR TOP HONOURS


CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS THE BRAVERY OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS DURING PANDEMIC

I am staggered at the response to this campaign, not only from the public but
how this purpose-driven material has been selected for many of the highest
awards in this business,  including the D&AD Yellow Pencil, the One Show Gold,
the Clio Silver and perhaps the industry’s highest accolade the Cannes Golden
Lion Grand Prix.

In support of frontline healthcare workers battling the pandemic, Dove and its
parent company have donated over $100 million worth of soap, sanitising and care
products since the outbreak. Honouring these key workers’ sacrifice and bravery,
Ogilvy created the simple campaign Courage is Beautiful, featuring raw, powerful
portraiture of these heroic individuals, their faces ravaged by the scars of PPE
after shifts of untold stress.

I was approached to provide music for for the editors to cut the film version on
a Friday afternoon in early April 2020. By the Sunday night, the first film was
on air in Canada. It went on to many other countries where the donations were
being made.

The track is available to stream or download wherever you get your music and is
my first independent release, inspired by over two-thousand Shazam hits it
received from the broadcast. Thanks to my dear friends Ben Dray for the cover
photograph and Tom Climpson for the graphics. Click on the image below for the
link.

 







THE BIRTH OF VALERIE VENUS


SCORE FOR BFI SHORT FILM NOW AVAILABLE


My original score for writer/director Sarah Clift‘s mischievous and beautifully
made short, The Birth of Valerie Venus is now available on to download or stream
on all major platforms, as the film itself starts to gain awards around the
world. As Sarah puts it: “Trapped in a world of domesticity and servitude, long
suffering vicar’s ...
Read on >


THE BIRTH OF VALERIE VENUS


SCORE FOR BFI SHORT FILM NOW AVAILABLE

My original score for writer/director Sarah Clift‘s mischievous and beautifully
made short, The Birth of Valerie Venus is now available on to download or stream
on all major platforms, as the film itself starts to gain awards around the
world.

As Sarah puts it: “Trapped in a world of domesticity and servitude, long
suffering vicar’s wife Valerie (55), has spent a lifetime serving others. At her
wits’ ends, she makes a quiet plea to the Virgin Mary, who answers her prayers
in the form of a strange force. Convinced she is possessed, Valerie fights her
path to enlightenment every step of the way, until she realises there actually
might be some benefits to being kind to yourself.”

The score draws on Baroque minimalism and Tango elements, and was performed by
founder member of the London Tango Quintet, David Juritz (violin) and Nicholas
Holland (cello).






CONTINUING THE LEGEND


SCORING MY MUM TRACY BEAKER AND SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT MY OWN FAMILY HISTORY


My Mum Tracy Beaker has been CBBC’s biggest ever launch, racking up over 2.1
million streams on iPlayer in the first weekend alone and setting social media
reaction on fire in early 2021. I have to confess the world of Tracy Beaker –
Jacqueline Wilson’s feisty ‘problem child’ –  had escaped me.  I was born ...
Read on >


CONTINUING THE LEGEND


SCORING MY MUM TRACY BEAKER AND SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT MY OWN FAMILY HISTORY

My Mum Tracy Beaker has been CBBC’s biggest ever launch, racking up over 2.1
million streams on iPlayer in the first weekend alone and setting social media
reaction on fire in early 2021.

I have to confess the world of Tracy Beaker – Jacqueline Wilson’s feisty
‘problem child’ –  had escaped me.  I was born too early for it to hit my
childhood viewing or reading.  All the same, I knew Tracy was an essential part
of the cultural landscape for my children.  Blimey, hadn’t Stormzy even quoted
the theme tune?

So when long-time collaborator, producer/director John McKay (Compact Pictures)
invited me to come aboard this new chapter for CBBC –  My Mum Tracy Beaker – it
was a great thrill and opportunity to be part of the canon, but I needed to bone
up quickly – I immediately devoured the previous series over several days.

John saw the new series as a love story between mother and daughter, seen
through the eyes of Tracy’s daughter Jess.  Along the way, it examines ideas of
home and stability, and more sombre questions of mental health, parenting and
childhood trauma – something which resonated, of which more later.

It was clear the bond between Tracy and Jess needed an emotional thread, a
simple, tender and honest musical idea to return to. After a few false starts, I
presented a slightly hymnal, almost folk piano sketch which I performed to John
on the on a Zoom call and it seemed to hit the spot – aspects of sanctuary and
tenderness. With his encouragement I found it blooming into an expansive second
section under my fingers, before returning to the spare, opening mood and a
gentle resolution; John could hear this forming a Heart and Home theme and it
became a central element of the score.

The script was shouting for other musical reactions, so even before they were
shooting – under Covid restrictions, of course – I started to present other
character sketches to John and CBBC exec Spencer Campbell in Zoom meetings.
 John and I often work like this – it’s very much a dialogue in the early
stages, trying things out, writing away from the picture, trying to capture the
spirit of the story in character sketches and subtextual layers.  On occasion, a
musical approach might trigger a bold editing idea or even a new sequence –
always exciting.

First was a potential title theme for Tracy in her groove, on top of her world:
confident, cheeky, with a hard-won toughness but not without emotional depths. I
heard rhythms of reggae and ska, the dubby sounds of a diverse, contemporary
Britain, with eclectic instruments for the melody: banjo, melodica and the
Arabic oud.  A toy piano – and elsewhere mandolin – consciously evoked Tracy
Beaker Returns in a nostalgic nod to Joby Talbot’s delightful earlier work. The
fresh, swaggering theme found a perfect home in the opening sequence, here.

To reflect Tracy’s hair-trigger rage when threatened or challenged, and perhaps
work as a main title theme, I created a kind of 80s-pop stomp-and-clap with a
playground-type chant.  I went through several versions improving it or so I
thought, making it punchier, busier, ever more aggressive, but John kept
returning to the demo for its simplicity and sense of fun. I think they even
dubbed the demo into the final film, despite our slicker later mixes

For me, the character of our narrator Jess – precocious, bookish, perhaps as
wilful as her mother – called for something naïve yet spirited which we found
useful for bridging passages, to suggest time passing and things changing.  Here
it melts into luxurious loungecore as they arrive at Sean’s swanky pile.

Much as I made every play to bag the theme tune, it was perhaps inevitable that
nothing could displace the original Keisha White song Someday, so long and
affectionately associated with the Beaker universe.  EP Spencer approached the
original producer/co-writer Brian Harris who soon brought us several new
versions with a fresh vocal from Keisha: a cool, dark R&B mix edit became our
end-title music, and the fabulous disco-tastic arrangement got a star appearance
in the wedding scene.

The score was mixed by my long-serving engineer Steve Parr. Given the
geographical and Covid constraints, we were forced to mix remotely. In a
successful first experiment, we had Steve operate my computer workstation here
in Newcastle from his facility in London, while I simultaneously streamed the
full-resolution audio back to him. We kept in contact via a continuous WhatsApp
call on our phones – it worked a dream and saved loads in time and travel costs.

The Heart and Home theme runs through the story whenever Tracy chases a dream of
stability for her and Jess, something Tracy wasn’t lucky enough to experience
consistently in her own upbringing.  There’s something bittersweet about it that
seems to make it work on both happy and more melancholy scenes.

It wasn’t until I was in sight of the finishing line, polishing the closing cue
with more mandolin and starting to relax, that I had a small epiphany: so much
of the story in fact had deep echoes in my own family history, echoes now
triggering a wave of unexpectedly powerful emotion in me.  At once I recognised
again the many parallels between Tracy’s story and that of my own, dear late
mother, whose upbringing had brought its own challenges and struggles throughout
her life.  While their personalities could not have been more different, I
realised what I had been writing for Tracy B, I had also been writing for her.

So Mum, this one’s for you.



Barbara Jean Sargent (née Jones) 1930 – 2003





SHORT FILM DRAMA DEBUT FOR STUART DOUGLAS






The Douglas Brothers gave me my first break into writing for commercials. Stuart
Douglas (Ronnie Wood: Hell of a Racket) has made his drama debut with this
tender, moving short film Cúl an Tí: The Back of the House, from a script by
Emma Pyne, and taking inspiration from Séan Ó Ríordáin’s much-loved poem. Here’s
the trailer for the film which is already appearing at festivals
internationally.

The score features David Juritz on violin and Barnaby Robson on Bb and bass
clarinet.

 * 




KATY WINS TWO BAFTA CHILDRENS AWARDS


ALSO SCORES GOLDEN ROSE OF MONTREUX AND INTERNATIONAL EMMY NOMINATIONS


I am so thrilled that KATY, adapted for CBBC from Jacqueline Wilson’s retelling
of WHAT KATY DID has won two BAFTA Children’s Awards: Chloe Lea for Best Young
Performer and Tom Bidwell for Best Writer. It was also nominated for Best Drama.
Well done to Spencer, John and all the team on a lovely series. ...
Read on >


KATY WINS TWO BAFTA CHILDRENS AWARDS


ALSO SCORES GOLDEN ROSE OF MONTREUX AND INTERNATIONAL EMMY NOMINATIONS

I am so thrilled that KATY, adapted for CBBC from Jacqueline Wilson’s retelling
of WHAT KATY DID has won two BAFTA Children’s Awards: Chloe Lea for Best Young
Performer and Tom Bidwell for Best Writer. It was also nominated for Best Drama.
Well done to Spencer, John and all the team on a lovely series. For the score I
was lucky enough to have Barnaby Robson of the Royal Opera play clarinet,
Michael Cox of the London Sinfonietta on flute and Nicholas Holland on cello.
Arthur Dick performed the heavy metal guitars and banjo, mandolin, omnichord,
piano, accordion, acoustic guitar, glockenspiel and Juno 6 were me. Much of the
score derived from a single acoustic demo I wrote in response to the script.

Other nominations for the series include the Montreux Rose D’Or and a
International Emmy.

 * 




SKY SCORES HIGH WITH RATBURGER





Sky One enjoyed its highest ratings ever among 5-14 year olds, and the highest
overall for five years with the Christmas Eve treat Ratburger, adapted by Kevin
Cecil and David Walliams from the latter’s book. Starring Sheridan Smith,
Walliams himself and newcomer Talia Barnett, it tells the story of young Zoe
who, bullied at school, befriends ...
Read on >


SKY SCORES HIGH WITH RATBURGER




Sky One enjoyed its highest ratings ever among 5-14 year olds, and the highest
overall for five years with the Christmas Eve treat Ratburger, adapted by Kevin
Cecil and David Walliams from the latter’s book. Starring Sheridan Smith,
Walliams himself and newcomer Talia Barnett, it tells the story of young Zoe
who, bullied at school, befriends a dancing rat she names Armitage. However, the
evil Burt (Walliams) has plans to turn Armitage into one of his revolting
burgers and a series of disappearances adds to the mystery. Plans are in place
for a digital release of the soundtrack soon.

 * 




BASF


BRINGS POWER TO THE DISPOSSESSED



The problem with traditional utility poles for power and communication cables is
that weight and rigidity makes them vulnerable to extreme winds and weather.
German company BASF have developed an ultra-light pole of glass-fibre and
polyurethane composite called Elastolit® which can withstand freak storms due to
an ability to ‘bend with the wind’. Stuart Douglas’ stirring ad for Leagas
Delaney London showcases the life-saving qualities of this innovative product
and features music by Kevin.

See commercials

 * 




KEVIN SCORES WORLD CUP WINNING GOAL IN TINA AND BOBBY





England’s original footballing jetset-couple Tina and Bobby Moore airs on Friday
nights in January 2017 in ITV’s 3×60 primetime three-parter. It stars Michelle
Keegan as Tina, Lorne McFadyen as Bobby. Directed by John McKay and produced by
Spencer Campbell from a script by Lauren Klee.
Read on >


KEVIN SCORES WORLD CUP WINNING GOAL IN TINA AND BOBBY




England’s original footballing jetset-couple Tina and Bobby Moore airs on Friday
nights in January 2017 in ITV’s 3×60 primetime three-parter. It stars Michelle
Keegan as Tina, Lorne McFadyen as Bobby. Directed by John McKay and produced by
Spencer Campbell from a script by Lauren Klee.

 * 




ORDINARY LIES RETURNS TO BBC1





Red Productions’ highly successful ensemble series returns to our screens with
an completely new cast and setting, the secret lives of the staff at a South
Wales warehouse. Written by Danny Brocklehurst, directed by Misha Manson-Smith
(No Offence) and Jon Wright (Robot Overlords).
Read on >


ORDINARY LIES RETURNS TO BBC1




Red Productions’ highly successful ensemble series returns to our screens with
an completely new cast and setting, the secret lives of the staff at a South
Wales warehouse.

Written by Danny Brocklehurst, directed by Misha Manson-Smith (No Offence) and
Jon Wright (Robot Overlords).

 * 


← Back Previous posts →


WORK

Filter

TV

 * TV
 * Film
 * Commercials

 * Katy
   Emmy-winning TV Adaptation
   
   Play
 * The Wrong Mans
   BAFTA-nominated Comedy Series
   
   Play
 * Ordinary Lies
   Opening Titles
   
   Play
 * Mapp and Lucia
   RTS-nominated Score
   
   Play
 * Ordinary Lies
   Selections from score
   
   Play
 * The Hour 2
   BAFTA-nominated Score
   
   Play
 * The Wrong Mans
   End Title
   
   Play
 * A Waste of Shame: The Mystery of Shakespeare and his Sonnets
   Ivor Novello-nominated Score
   
   Play
 * Shakespeare Retold
   Macbeth
   
   Play
 * Ballet Shoes
   Selections from Score
   
   Play
 * Lilies
   Drama Series
   
   Play
 * We’ll Take Manhattan
   Prix Europa Best Single Drama
   
   Play
 * Blue Murder
   Drama Series
   
   Play
 * The Last Days of Lehman Brothers
   Selections
   
   Play

Back to work





ABOUT


KEVIN SARGENT


COMPOSER FOR FILM AND TELEVISION

Hello. I’m Kevin Sargent, multi-instrumentalist and composer for film and
television, based in the UK.

I was proud to be nominated for a BAFTA for my score for Emmy-winning drama The
Hour (Kudos/BBC) and an Ivor Novello Award for A Waste of Shame (BBC).

Mapp & Lucia (BBC) was nominated Best Original Music by the Royal Television
Society, and both We’ll Take Manhattan (Kudos/BBC) and The Wrong Mans (BBC/Hulu)
for Music+Sound Awards.

Productions I have scored have won notable prizes including the Prix Europa Best
Drama for We’ll Take Manhattan and International Emmys for family films Katy
(CBBC), and Ratburger (Sky/King Bert).

Read more >

Hello. I’m Kevin Sargent, composer and multi-instrumentalist best known for my
work in film and television, based in the UK.

I was proud to be nominated for a BAFTA for my work on Emmy-winning drama The
Hour (Kudos/BBC) and both an Ivor Novello and European Soundtrack Award for the
film portrait of Shakespeare the poet, A Waste of Shame (BBC), written by author
William Boyd.

My orchestral score for Mapp & Lucia (BBC) was nominated Best Original Music by
the Royal Television Society, the 60s jazz-inspired We’ll Take
Manhattan (Kudos/BBC) and action-comedy The Wrong Mans (BBC/Hulu) for
Music+Sound Awards.

Recently I had the honour of working closely with the late Ennio Morricone in
Rome – rhythm-programming and remixing one of the maestro’s final projects.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Your score, besides being so right for the movie, also displayed a rare quality
among composers these days: you write terrific melodies! I was very impressed …”

Burt Berman, President, Music Division, Paramount Pictures

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a classically-trained pianist, my performance as joint soloist in the Malcolm
Arnold double piano concertos with the Ulster Orchestra was broadcast on BBC R3
and is now available on the Naxos label and major streaming platforms.

As drummer/percussionist and keyboardist signed to A&M and then Elektra Records,
I recorded three albums with influential band Thrashing Doves, touring the UK
and Europe and headlining across the USA working with some of the world’s finest
producers and recording engineers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Really so delighted with what you’ve done. Sophisticated, original, sexy,
emotional, layered, witty, understated and elegant. Everything we hoped for.”

Sandra Goldbacher, director The Hour

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Productions I have scored have won notable prizes including the Prix Europa Best
Drama for John McKay’s We’ll Take Manhattan and International Emmys for both
Katy (CBBC) and Ratburger (Sky).  Both Katy and The Wrong Mans (Hulu/BBC) earned
two BAFTA nominations and The Hour no less than five.

Mehdi Norowzian’s Killing Joe (Joy Films) was nominated for an Academy Award as
Best Short Film. and Slava’s Journey: Secrets of Snow (Blue Canary) won Best
Original Score at the Docs Without Borders Festival 2020.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Your willingness, talent and great attitude for going above the call of duty
was refreshing, thoughtful and extremely appreciated.”

Jack Binder, Producer, The Upside of Anger (Sunlight Pictures)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Commercials I’ve scored include original and award-winning work for global
brands such as Dove, Adidas, Patek Philippe, Hyundai, Harrods, Volvo, Financial
Times and Sony Playstation. The Guinness commercial has become a much-loved and
timeless staple of the festive season in Ireland for over ten years now.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“As ever, your response was creative and inspired”

Mal Stevenson, Creative Director, BBDO Dublin

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A founder member of The Hurricane Club, London-based comedy improvisation team,
I performed at their weekly West End venue for several years. Recently I have
been elected Media Committee Chair and Board Director of the Ivors Academy for
Music Creators, the UK’s leading organisation campaigning on behalf of composers
and music creators.



< Back


AUDIO REEL

Here are some favourite cues from various scores of mine. Will be changing this
list every so often.
Please use the slider on the right to scroll down for more tracks. Hope you
enjoy.





CONTACT

Please get in touch via the details below.


STUDIO

+44 (0) 7973 326954

music@kevinsargent.co.uk


FILM & TV

c/o Ollie Fitzgerald
Cool Music

+44 (0) 208 995 7766

enquiries@coolmusicltd.com


COMMERCIALS

+44 (0) 7973 326954

music@kevinsargent.co.uk


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All rights reserved by Kevin Sargent © 2023

Photography © Oriel John | Website by Robert Sargent, Jamie Boyd and Meerkats