INTERVIEW: Richard Williams celebrates ‘Hollywood Christmas’
Photo: Richard Williams’ debut album is Hollywood Christmas. Photo courtesy of the artist / Provided by Crossover Media with permission.
Just in time for the holidays, composer and orchestrator Richard Williams recently released the new album Hollywood Christmas, featuring big band swing, orchestral and rock arrangements of beloved Christmas classics, according to press notes. There are numerous songs that should be well known to listeners, including “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” “White Christmas,” “Jingle Bells” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” among others. The recording was made in the style of Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé and the Carpenters — all welcome company this time of year.
Hollywood Christmas is Williams’ first album, but his compositions can be heard on a number of projects. He has found success in video game composing, on such titles as Ready Player One: Rise of the Gunters. He’s also the person behind the book soundtrack for Brandon Sanderson’s fantasy novel The Way of Kings.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Williams about his new Christmas album. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What inspired you to record Hollywood Christmas?
I recorded an Incredibles-themed song at Capitol Studios in 2017 at Chris Walden’s jazz masterclass, and after doing so, I knew I had to come back to do more. Years later I thought that Christmas would be a great genre because it encapsulates so much great music with jazz and the orchestra, and it’s a genre that most people love, so that’s why I set out to do this album.
How did you select these Christmas and winter tunes?
Good question. I researched all the top classic Christmas songs and just had a run off where I would figure out my favorite tunes and which songs could turn out to be the most impressive and impactful given the genre and how I would arrange it. I also thought about the totality and the order of the songs because I wanted a balance between the fun and the beautiful songs. I wanted to also balance making new material like medleys, duets and the like, so I took all of these things into consideration when I was initially selecting the Christmas songs.
Is it difficult interpreting songs that have been interpreted so many times before?
I wouldn’t say so. This is technically my first Christmas album in this genre. There are so many ways to compose or arrange a great tune, so I know it’s possible. The challenge is just finding or figuring that out. In my case, I felt like it was quite daunting to try to create something as impactful as the great pieces that have gone before. But I was willing to try and I gave it my all. One tip I’ve learned is that writing a great original intro really goes a long, long way. Some of my favorite songs have great intros that really set the mood, so I did my best to do the same, especially on the slower orchestral pieces. I was going for a magical or wondrous feel with them.
How does the collaboration work with your vocalists?
I basically tried to again imagine who would work well on which songs, and then I contacted them to see if they were interested. I knew most of the main vocalists from BYU [Brigham Young University] and elsewhere, so I had made a mental note years ago that I had wanted to work with them. And this project was able to handle all of them. Some of the other singers like Benny Benack III from New York and Dmitry Noskov from Russia I learned about from recommendations online. Using a large number of singers instead of just one is advantageous because it provides a much wider variety as every singer has different strengths to pull from. I wrote all the songs before the singers recorded them. Most of them I had sing a demo, so I could get a feel for how they were going to sound. And I had to shift some singers around to make things work, but I think it ended up great. Some parts with the singers called for improvisation in their delivery and even with some phrases here and there which you can’t plan until it’s recording time in the studio, but I was happy to see that we were able to pull it off.
When did you first fall in love with music?
That’s a good question. I remember singing in elementary school and church, but when I was in sixth grade and first watched the movie Amadeus is when I realized my desire to compose. Around that time, I remember listening to my dad’s classical CDs and phantom conducting to the music. I tried composing back then, but with no music theory help and only a tape player, pencil and paper, I couldn’t do it. It was only years later when I learned about the computer program Logic that I was able to record my thoughts and again pursue composing. I’ve always appreciated good music in film, which is why I started out majoring in film composing at BYU. Music can show up in so many avenues — from film, video games, religious music and now a Christmas jazz album — but I’ve been lucky and grateful to be able to compose among such a wide variety of avenues.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Hollywood Christmas by Richard Williams is now available. Click here for more information.
