KVR Audio

ChameleonMusic · Post by **ChameleonMusic** » Wed Jan 14, 2026 9:41 pm

https://soundcloud.com/chameleon-music/ ... -the-cross

Bandcamp:
https://chameleonmusic1.bandcamp.com/al ... -the-cross

Title track from the new album...

This was my intention with this one:

Think Miss Marple, Father Brown, Murder She Wrote, Columbo, Alfred Hitchcock Presents!

The opening scene fades from black as the camera slowly sweeps across the cemetery towards the tolling bell. Choir boys singing inside the church. A slowly evolving, warped choir drone adds a subtle, rising edge of tension.

The camera pans back out towards the Cross as disturbing vocal lines weave around each other accompanied by dissonant string runs. The music reaches a peak just as the camera focuses on the dead body of the local priest, hidden behind the cross.

Cut to the opening credits and the main theme for the programme – hopefully conveying mystery, suspense, adventure and a healthy dollop of cheesy humour!

Finally, a brief hint of the opening Agnus Dei from the Choir boys leads into the first scene via a dramatic close up of a second body hanging in the Bell Tower!

I'll leave it up to the listener on whether I achieved it or not!

Apologies to those who have been on here for years as I think I posted the original version of this one about 10 years ago!

jcub · Post by **jcub** » Wed Jan 14, 2026 11:18 pm

Really well done! The sounds are perfect - evocative and well balanced. Great orchestration- which library did you use. This could easily be used in a movie or TV show.

ChameleonMusic wrote: Wed Jan 14, 2026 9:41 pm https://soundcloud.com/chameleon-music/ ... -the-cross

Title track from the new album...

This was my intention with this one:

Think Miss Marple, Father Brown, Murder She Wrote, Columbo, Alfred Hitchcock Presents!

The opening scene fades from black as the camera slowly sweeps across the cemetery towards the tolling bell. Choir boys singing inside the church. A slowly evolving, warped choir drone adds a subtle, rising edge of tension.

The camera pans back out towards the Cross as disturbing vocal lines weave around each other accompanied by dissonant string runs. The music reaches a peak just as the camera focuses on the dead body of the local priest, hidden behind the cross.

Cut to the opening credits and the main theme for the programme – hopefully conveying mystery, suspense, adventure and a healthy dollop of cheesy humour!

Finally, a brief hint of the opening Agnus Dei from the Choir boys leads into the first scene via a dramatic close up of a second body hanging in the Bell Tower!

I'll leave it up to the listener on whether I achieved it or not!

Apologies to those who have been on here for years as I think I posted the original version of this one about 10 years ago!

enroe · Post by **enroe** » Thu Jan 15, 2026 7:44 am

"The Bell Tower and the Cross": I love such epically broad musical narratives.
They immediately evoke many deep associations; you almost instantly see
a picture, a scene.

This orchestral intro is broadly divided into two parts: The intro and the outro,
featuring a growing chorus, are static in nature. The middle section, however,
brings liveliness and groove: The violin plays an eighth-note line. The strings
dominate here. The brass element stands out; it fits together wonderfully.
And you can even hear the bell once.

The image fits perfectly - it's really quite eerie.

A fantastic, mysterious orchestral instrumental. I just think it's a bit short!

Allomerus · Post by **Allomerus** » Thu Jan 15, 2026 7:45 am

Brilliant! Does all you want and more! Like jcub says it could easily be picked up for a movie or TV show.

wagtunes · Post by **wagtunes** » Thu Jan 15, 2026 11:10 am

I can't comment on a few of those shows as I didn't watch them, but Murder She Wrote and Columbo (which I know every episode by heart) not so much. However, you nailed Danny Elfman and Hallmark Mysteries. Also shades of Diagnosis Murder.

The piece itself, regardless of what it sounds like, is brilliant. I'll have to be reincarnated 100 times over to write and orchestrate like that. I wish you would make a video of exactly how you put this together. I might learn something.

Bravo. Absolutely perfect.

seismic1 · Post by **seismic1** » Thu Jan 15, 2026 8:55 pm

Good to hear this one again after such a long time. I still maintain that it would be most suitable for inclusion on a Midsomer Murders or Dalziel and Pascoe OST piece, given that priests have been known to be the victims of foul play in both series, and the second part seems to have a traditionally "English" mystery style.

Great composition and production.

Good work

markkuja · Post by **markkuja** » Thu Jan 15, 2026 10:28 pm

Great theme composition. Good arrangement and orchestration sounds dynamic… well done mix and mastering. Sounds good.

frank1985 · Post by **frank1985** » Fri Jan 16, 2026 5:26 pm

Very well executed ....

ChameleonMusic · Post by **ChameleonMusic** » Fri Jan 16, 2026 5:35 pm

jcub wrote: Wed Jan 14, 2026 11:18 pm Really well done! The sounds are perfect - evocative and well balanced. Great orchestration- which library did you use. This could easily be used in a movie or TV show.

ChameleonMusic wrote: Wed Jan 14, 2026 9:41 pm https://soundcloud.com/chameleon-music/ ... -the-cross

Title track from the new album...

This was my intention with this one:

Think Miss Marple, Father Brown, Murder She Wrote, Columbo, Alfred Hitchcock Presents!

The opening scene fades from black as the camera slowly sweeps across the cemetery towards the tolling bell. Choir boys singing inside the church. A slowly evolving, warped choir drone adds a subtle, rising edge of tension.

The camera pans back out towards the Cross as disturbing vocal lines weave around each other accompanied by dissonant string runs. The music reaches a peak just as the camera focuses on the dead body of the local priest, hidden behind the cross.

Cut to the opening credits and the main theme for the programme – hopefully conveying mystery, suspense, adventure and a healthy dollop of cheesy humour!

Finally, a brief hint of the opening Agnus Dei from the Choir boys leads into the first scene via a dramatic close up of a second body hanging in the Bell Tower!

I'll leave it up to the listener on whether I achieved it or not!

Apologies to those who have been on here for years as I think I posted the original version of this one about 10 years ago!

Thanks for having a listen and leaving some feedback...always appreciated!

Main library for the orchestral body of the piece was Spitfire Audio ALBION ONE...
(Old library now; not available any more; pretty basic setup with no solo instruments; but I just love the gutsy, slightly raw sound of it and the way it responds to controller messages to add little imperfections / sense of movement etc!

Added a little extra variation to some of the sounds with snippets from other libraries + there's also some live clarinet as well weaved into the texture!

ChameleonMusic · Post by **ChameleonMusic** » Fri Jan 16, 2026 6:14 pm

enroe wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 7:44 am "The Bell Tower and the Cross": I love such epically broad musical narratives.
They immediately evoke many deep associations; you almost instantly see
a picture, a scene.

This orchestral intro is broadly divided into two parts: The intro and the outro,
featuring a growing chorus, are static in nature. The middle section, however,
brings liveliness and groove: The violin plays an eighth-note line. The strings
dominate here. The brass element stands out; it fits together wonderfully.
And you can even hear the bell once.

The image fits perfectly - it's really quite eerie.

A fantastic, mysterious orchestral instrumental. I just think it's a bit short!

Thanks for having a listen and leaving such detailed feedback!

''I just think it's a bit short!'' Yep - it was written as a theme tune as such, but you're right it could possibly be developed into a longer orchestral tone poem or something maybe!

On my list!

ChameleonMusic · Post by **ChameleonMusic** » Sat Jan 17, 2026 12:52 pm

Allomerus wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 7:45 am Brilliant! Does all you want and more! Like jcub says it could easily be picked up for a movie or TV show.

Thanks for having a listen! It is one that I've pushed forward over the years as appropriate for various possible media use....so far it's been used by a couple of theatre companies as the theme tune for shows with murder mystery style content + the background entry / exit music for a live Escape Room event!

Benedict · Post by **Benedict** » Sat Jan 17, 2026 11:03 pm

I like it. Sadly it is uncommon to hear music that moves forward ie not the same loop for 3 mins then evaporate at loop end.
Melodies too! Nice and bombastic. Sounds good overall. Shame it just stops but one assumes it is part of a greater whole??

I have done things in this space with TV show themes (Father Brown, Midsomer, Hill St) as well as making a story cycle complete with slides. A lot of work goes in.

ChameleonMusic · Post by **ChameleonMusic** » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:10 am

wagtunes wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 11:10 am I can't comment on a few of those shows as I didn't watch them, but Murder She Wrote and Columbo (which I know every episode by heart) not so much. However, you nailed Danny Elfman and Hallmark Mysteries. Also shades of Diagnosis Murder.

The piece itself, regardless of what it sounds like, is brilliant. I'll have to be reincarnated 100 times over to write and orchestrate like that. I wish you would make a video of exactly how you put this together. I might learn something.

Bravo. Absolutely perfect.

Thank you very much for having a listen / leaving such useful feedback - much appreciated.

How I made this one - had to go back and look that up as the original was years ago!

I don't have a set way of composing and this (being orchestral) was actually written out note by note in software-based music notation as a first draft stage (rough full score with most of the parts) and then transferred / finished off / performed in my DAW using Kontakt sample libraries + a couple of real instruments here and there.

wagtunes · Post by **wagtunes** » Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:28 am

ChameleonMusic wrote: Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:10 am
wagtunes wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 11:10 am I can't comment on a few of those shows as I didn't watch them, but Murder She Wrote and Columbo (which I know every episode by heart) not so much. However, you nailed Danny Elfman and Hallmark Mysteries. Also shades of Diagnosis Murder.

The piece itself, regardless of what it sounds like, is brilliant. I'll have to be reincarnated 100 times over to write and orchestrate like that. I wish you would make a video of exactly how you put this together. I might learn something.

Bravo. Absolutely perfect.
Thank you very much for having a listen / leaving such useful feedback - much appreciated.

How I made this one - had to go back and look that up as the original was years ago!

I don't have a set way of composing and this (being orchestral) was actually written out note by note in software-based music notation as a first draft stage (rough full score with most of the parts) and then transferred / finished off / performed in my DAW using Kontakt sample libraries + a couple of real instruments here and there.

Well that explains a lot. So you used something like Finale.

You are a true composer. If you don't do this for a living you missed your calling.

ChameleonMusic · Post by **ChameleonMusic** » Mon Jan 19, 2026 12:35 pm

wagtunes wrote: Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:28 am
ChameleonMusic wrote: Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:10 am
wagtunes wrote: Thu Jan 15, 2026 11:10 am I can't comment on a few of those shows as I didn't watch them, but Murder She Wrote and Columbo (which I know every episode by heart) not so much. However, you nailed Danny Elfman and Hallmark Mysteries. Also shades of Diagnosis Murder.

The piece itself, regardless of what it sounds like, is brilliant. I'll have to be reincarnated 100 times over to write and orchestrate like that. I wish you would make a video of exactly how you put this together. I might learn something.

Bravo. Absolutely perfect.
Thank you very much for having a listen / leaving such useful feedback - much appreciated.

How I made this one - had to go back and look that up as the original was years ago!

I don't have a set way of composing and this (being orchestral) was actually written out note by note in software-based music notation as a first draft stage (rough full score with most of the parts) and then transferred / finished off / performed in my DAW using Kontakt sample libraries + a couple of real instruments here and there.
Well that explains a lot. So you used something like Finale.

You are a true composer. If you don't do this for a living you missed your calling.

Yep - it was actually Finale!

''True Composer'' - thank you!

Been composing music since I was 12 years old (50 years now...).

Starting making a little bit of money from it way back in 1994 alongside my main job -part-time teaching and lecturing in music / music tech.

Retired from teaching 5 years ago...composing helps supplement my pension!

Although not by very much at all post-Covid...a lot of my long-term clients were directors for live plays in theatres etc etc and far too many simply went under financially!

Trying to kickstart it all again this year via various routes...see how it goes....expectations are low / realistic! If nothing else, I love doing it so it'll always stay in my life in some way, shape or form!

Sorry - warbled on!