James Bond composer David Arnold receives Ivor Novello honour

Composer David Arnold has become the latest musician to receive one of five special fellowships presented by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters to mark the 50th anniversary of the Ivor Novello Awards - reports The Stage (UK).

Arnold, who is best known for producing scores to blockbuster movies such as Independence Day and Bond films Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, addressed an audience of academy members and friends, including comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams, before receiving his fellowship from lyricist Don Black.

“There are not many musical practitioners in the game these days who are equally at home discussing Stephen Sondheim or the Scissor Sisters, Cole Porter or Franz Ferdinand,” said Black. “Although he is annoyingly young and boyish he seems as familiar with Rodgers and Hart as he is with Razorlight.

“His musical range is extraordinary and I have no doubt that his blistering talent will amaze us for many years to come. It is often said that the golden age of movie composers is dying out. With David Arnold, we can all rest knowing the baton is in safe hands.”

Arnold revealed that David Greig’s play The Cosmonaut’s Last Message to the Woman He Once Loved in the Former Soviet Union, which opens at the Donmar Warehouse in April, will feature his second theatrical score following his debut with Harold Pinter’s Old Times last year. However, he denied rumours that he had recently been approached by Andrew Lloyd Webber to write the score for a Bond musical.

Thanks to `Goldeneye` for the alert.

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