ALASTAIR KING: THE MUSIC OF DOWNTON ABBEY

Behind the music of Downton Abbey: orchestrator reveals the art of film composition.

A fascinating talk with music and insight into how composer John Lunn’s iconic Downton Abbey score came to life on screen. Alastair King presents live musical examples, analysis and video clips, alongside insights from his own appearances and behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Featuring Alastair King on piano and Claire King on clarinet.

About Alastair King

Alastair King has had a career as an orchestrator, conductor, composer and educator. His concert music has won prizes and had many performances worldwide. In 2001 he was the only European finalist in Masterprize with his orchestral work Hit The Ground (Running, Running, Running) which was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under Daniel
Harding and broadcast by BBC Radio 3. He has also written ten well-loved piano pieces for beginners which includes The Grand Prix and The Blue Chicken.

Alastair has worked on more than 100 media projects, including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Wonder Woman, The Meg, Chicken Run, Aquaman, The Martian, Over the Hedge and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Alastair conducted and orchestrated all of Downton Abbey and has appeared in two of the films! He has also been involved with one of his childhood favourites, Doctor Who, since 2015 and conducted the Doctor Who
Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in 2024.

Alastair is a regular conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of London (COOL) and has conducted many other orchestras and choirs including BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, London Symphony Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, BBC Concert Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, London Session Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, the Bach Choir, BBC Singers, the Choir of the King’s Consort, London Philharmonic Choir, Vienna ORTF and Munich Radio Orchestra.