Composing/Arranging
about
Billy is a multi-award winning composer and arranger, experienced at orchestrating for large and small ensembles.
Billy has written for youth bands and both amateur and professional big bands including Patchwork Jazz Orchestra and the Calum Gourlay Big Band. In October 2018, Billy studied with Vince Mendoza on the Metropole Orkest Arrangers Workshop in Holland. His arrangement of Man in the Mirror was performed at the Lantaren Venster by the Metropole Orkest and New York based singer-songwriter Becca Stevens. You can listen to his arrangement of Meet the Flintstones here, which was written during the workshop for a 2 minute arrangement brief and performed by the Metropole Orkest under the batton of Vince Mendoza.
Billy crafts arrangements that have strong narrative and distinct character. He produces professionally presented scores and parts with the highest level of clarity and readability. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London, Billy spent four years studying jazz composition and arranging with Pete Churchill.
Listen and watch examples of Billy's work below.
Inventively voiced horn writing... fresh and unpredictable.
Jonathan Carvell
Jazzwise
Awards
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2019 - Eddie Harvey Jazz Arranger of the Year Award, for his arrangement of Leonard Bernstein's Lucky To Be Me
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2018 - Dankworth Prize for Jazz Composition, Big Band Category for Scenes from the Underground
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2016 - Dankworth Prize for Jazz Composition, Small Ensemble Category (octet) for Destarata
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2012 - Watermill Jazz Young Composers Award, Nowa Huta (octet)
Watch
Composing/Arranging
Play Billy's Music
Get in touch if you are interested in purchasing scores/parts for Billy's compositions/arrangements, or wish to commission a new composition or bespoke arrangement.
Billy is open to writing for all standard of musician and embraces the challenge of any unusual line ups.
Scores and parts for all of his catalogue of compositions/arrangements are available upon request.
Examples
Example Drum Part
Arrangement of jazz standard Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
Several of Billy's compositions for big band are included in the National Concert Band Festival 2022 repertoire list. Scores and parts are available to purchase via PayPal by contacting Billy, see details below. They are written for standard big band line up including guitar, except where noted. Please contact Billy if you have any special requirements.
Genmaicha - Big Band Chart
Composed and arranged by Billy Marrows.
As recorded by Patchwork Jazz Orchestra on their 2020 lockdown record 'The Light That Shines', this playful samba has an intricate catchy melody, shout chorus, contrapuntal soli and solos for guitar and flute or flugelhorn.
Duration: 9:00
Instrumentation info: opt. aux. flute/aux. percussion
Lead trumpet limit: written D#6
Solos: guitar, trumpet 2 (opt. flugelhorn) or aux. flute
Price for Transposed Score + Parts PDFs + Midi Audio: £49.99
Scenes from the Underground - Big Band Chart
Composed and arranged by Billy Marrows.
Winner of the 2018 Dankworth Prize for Jazz Composition, this piece has lots for the players to get stuck into. After the opening chorale, a soprano solo unfolds over contemporary New Orleans second line groove, with harmonically shifting contrapuntal backings over a bass pedal. It features quirky thematic melodies and a canonic soli, as well as chance for the guitarist to stretch out.
Duration: 9:18
Instrumentation info: soprano lead
Lead trumpet limit: written D6
Solos: soprano sax, guitar
Price for Transposed Score + Parts PDFs + Midi Audio: £49.99
Dancing On Bentwood Chairs - Big Band Chart
Composed and arranged by Billy Marrows.
This joyful high-life inspired composition explores an unusual 7/4 clave groove (3,3,3,3,2) and uplifting diatonic melodic material. The first soloist (guitar) can stretch out over a pedal and reaches a climax with full ensemble backings and moving harmony. Drums solo over the chorus hits, and the intensity builds with orchestrated collective improvisation, leading into an alto sax solo over the chorus hits, continuously modulating higher and higher until it explodes into 4/4 swing! The opening material then returns with an interlocking Soukous inspired finale.
Duration: 8:24
Instrumentation info: opt. piccolo on alto 1 chair
Lead trumpet limit: written D6
Solos: guitar, drums, alto sax
Price for Transposed Score + Parts PDFs + Midi Audio: £49.99