Chris Neal (screen composer)
Christopher Hugh Neal (born 1946) is an Australian musician, songwriter, record producer and television and film music composer. His scores include Buddies, Bodyline, The Shiralee, Turtle Beach and Farscape.
Chris Neal | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Hugh Neal 1946 (age 77–78) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | North Sydney Boys High School Sydney University |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1963-present |
| Spouse | Mary Neal |
| Children | 2 |
Neal has won several AGSC and APRA awards for his work and was awarded Best Original Music Score at the 1985 AFI Awards for his contribution to the film score for 'Rebel'. Some of Neal's frequent collaborators have included Denny Lawrence, Bob Ellis, George Ogilvie, Matt Carroll, and Patricia Edgar.
Neal's screen composer credits date from the late 1970s and include The Shiralee, Bodyline, Buddies, Rebel, Archer, Shadow of The Cobra and Emerald City.
During the 1980s, Neal scored several films from the "Winners" series of telemovies, produced by Patricia Edgar of the Australian Children's Television Foundation. Five Times Dizzy, produced by Tom Jeffrey followed soon after. These projects kickstarted what would be a recurring part of his career; scoring and writing songs for children's television dramas including Johnson and Friends, Lift-Off, Kaboodle, Li'l Elvis and the Truckstoppers and more. Neal's songs and music were also featured in stage shows based on "Johnson and Friends", and in 1995-1996, Neal wrote the music for "Lift Off Live"; a stage musical based on the "Lift-Off" television series.
Feature film and television projects continued through the 1990s and 2000s, including Pacific Drive, Foreign Exchange and many more.