Composer Lucy scores film festival theme

Lucy Farrimond, who is from Standish and studies at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, has created the orchestral introduction track for the Leigh Short Film Festival.

Now in its fourth year, the event at the Turnpike sees low-budget, up-and-coming film-makers from across the country battling it out to secure the coveted audience’s choice award or be named best animation or North West production.

Musician Lucy, 19, spoke of her delight at being asked to write for such a prestigious local event.

She said: “The prospect that people will be listening to this is really exciting and I’m proud to have achieved it. It was something new for me and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve never written something on this scale before. It’s gone from a little idea and turned into a finished, orchestrated piece.

“Film music is something I’m quite interested in. I’ve always loved how many aspects of it there are. I hope to keep that open as an option to pursue.”

Lucy’s piece will be played at the start of the event on October 7 accompanying the appearance of images including the festival logo on screen.

Her music, which includes Sentiment for brass band and a piece for string quartet and flute, is regularly performed at showcases of creative talent at the world-famous Manchester music school known simply as Chets.

Organisers of the cultural celebration in Leigh said it was a major coup to have a theme especially composed for the festival.

Festival chair Paul Costello said: “We were absolutely delighted that Lucy has written a piece of music especially for us. It is very special to us and will feature prominently in the opening of the festival.”

The 2017 festival differs from previous years with the night of short movies at the Turnpike joined by several other screenings locally, ranging from a showing of This Sporting Life at the Leigh Sports Village to a Disney film being beamed onto the wall of the swimming pool at Tyldesley’s Pelican Centre.