William Goodchild

William Goodchild is a British composer, orchestrator and conductor who produces music for film, television and the concert hall.

Early life and education

William Goodchild was born in Northampton, England to an Australian-born father, the late Ronald Goodchild,, and an English mother, Jean Ross. In the autumn of 1964, the family moved to London where his father became Bishop of Kensington. Here the family stayed until 1980, when his mother and father retired, eventually moving to North Devon.
Goodchild attended The Hall School and received musical education at the Royal College of Music where he was a Junior Exhibitioner, studying violin and piano. After gaining a music scholarship to Colet Court, and subsequently, St Paul's School, He obtained a Bachelor's degree with Honours in Music at the University of East Anglia. He holds a Diploma of Licentiate in Pianoforte from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He studied conducting with Richard Hickox, John Lubbock, and George Hurst, piano with Sidney Harrison, John York and Katherine Miller, jazz piano with Leon Cohen, and composition with Peter Aston and Julian Webb.

Career

Goodchild's interest in film composition began when working as a music assistant to British composer Edward Williams, preparing scores, and playing and conducting for recording sessions on television projects for Williams.
He has scored films for broadcasters including Netflix, BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, PBS, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel and YouTube Originals. Scores composed by Goodchild include four-part Netflix series, Chimp Empire, feature documentary The Letter: A Message For Our Earth, Surviving Paradise: A Family Tale, and H2O: The Molecule That Made Us. There are three original motion picture soundtrack albums composed by William currently available to stream: Chimp Empire, The Letter: A Message For Our Earth, and Africa's Fishing Leopards.
Goodchild has worked with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London Metropolitan Orchestra, Budapest Art Orchestra and Bristol Ensemble. He has recorded at many of the major London recording studios including Abbey Road Studios, Associated Independent Recording Studios, Angel Recording Studios, and CTS Lansdowne Studios. As a conductor and orchestrator he has undertaken projects for the BBC including Nature's Great Events, Wild China, Ganges, Europe – a Natural History, Journey of Life and Wild New World. As conductor, Goodchild has recorded for Sony Classical Records, Universal Records, Hyperion Records and CBS Masterworks.
On stage and in the recording studio, Goodchild has collaborated with solo artists including guitarist John Williams, saxophonist Andy Sheppard, members of the Maggini Quartet, violinist Natalia Lomeiko, percussionist Alasdair Malloy, O-Duo, Tom Jones, and drum and bass artist Roni Size and Reprazent.
He is Senior Associate Teacher at University of Bristol, giving lectures on Media Composition as part of the MA Composition of Music for Film and Television course - a post he has held since September 2008. He also gives talks on Music for Film for organizations such as BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Wildscreen Festival, Cardiff University School of Music and City University London.
Goodchild's sound recording studio is located in Bristol. He is a member of The Ivors Academy and PRS for Music.

Film and television music (2006–2023)

Chimp Empire - Netflix Original documentary series. Produced by Underdog Films and Keo Films. Narrated by Mahershala Ali and directed by James Reed
The Letter: A Message for Our Earth - YouTube Originals feature documentary. Produced by Off the Fence, YouTube Originals, and Laudato Si Movement. Written and directed by Nicolas Brown
Surviving Paradise: A Family Tale - Netflix Original natural history documentary feature. Produced by Wild Space Productions Ltd / Freeborne Media Ltd. Narrated by Regé-Jean Page. Produced and Directed by Renée Godfrey; Co-Directed / Edited by Matt Meech; Cinematograher: Brad Besterlink; Executive Producer: James Honeyborne
Tibet: Roof of the World/ Into the Wild Tibet - Natural history documentary for theatrical release and four international TV versions for broadcast on stations including Smithsonion Channel. Produced by Infocus Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore. Narrated by Russell Boulter; Executive Producers: Karen Bass and Dean Johnson
H2O: The Molecule that Made Us - Factual series. A Passion Planet Production for WGBH/PBS/BBC. Narrated by Kelly McEvers; Produced by David Allen and Catherine Watling; Directed by Nicolas Brown and Alex Tate
Hippos: Africa's River Giants - Natural history documentary for BBC Natural World. Produced by Icon Films. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough; Director: Brad Bestelink; Producers: Laura Marshall and Lucy Meadows
South Korea: Earth's Hidden Wilderness - Natural history documentary for BBC Two. Produced by Terra Mater and Oxford Scientific Films. Narrator: Arthur Lee; Producer/Director: James Reed; Executive Producer: Caroline Hawkins; Natural History Producer: Philip Jones; Commissioning Editor for BBC: Craig Hunter
Jeremy Wade's Mighty Rivers - Natural history documentary series for Animal Planet. Presented by Jeremy Wade. Produced by Icon Films.Series Producer: Steve Gooder
Fake or Fortune? - Arts series. Produced by BBC Studios for BBC One. Presented by Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould. Series Producer: Robert Murphy
Supercharged Otters - Natural history documentary for BBC Natural World. Produced by BBC Natural History Unit. Presented by Charlie Hamilton James and produced by Mark Wheeler. Series Producer: Roger Webb
Rise of the Warrior Apes - Natural history documentary special. Produced by Keo Films for Discovery. Producer/Director: James Reed
Thailand: Earth's Tropical Paradise - 3-part natural history documentary series for BBC Two. Produced by BBC Natural History Unit. Narrated by Sophie Okonedo. Series Producer: Steve Cole; Producers: Steve Cole, Lara Bickerton and James Hemming
Gorilla Family and Me - Natural history documentary series for BBC Two. Produced by BBC Natural History Unit. Presented by Gordon Buchanan. Executive Producers: Tim Martin and Ted Oakes; Series Producer: David Johnson
India: Nature's Wonderland - Natural history documentary series for BBC and PBS. Presented by Liz Bonnin, Freida Pinto and Jon Gupta. Series Producer: Ben Southwell
Wild Costa Rica – Natural history documentary for Animal Planet; Produced by Warehouse 51 Productions; Producer/Director: Ian Marsh
Return of the Giant Killers: Africa's Lion Kings – Natural history documentary for BBC Natural World. Produced by Icon Films; Producer/ Director: Steve Gooder
Timeshift: Castles – Britain's Fortified History - History documentary for BBC4. Producer/Director: Ben Southwell
Africa's Fishing Leopards – Natural history documentary for BBC Natural World. Produced by "Icon Films". Producer/ Director: Steve Gooder
The Man Who Turned into a Sofa - BBC Drama on 4. Written by Polly Peters, Andrew Fusek Peters and Rosalind Jana Peters; Produced by Tim Dee
Beavers Behaving Badly - Natural history documentary for BBC Natural World. Produced by BBC Natural History Unit. Producer/Director: David Johnson
Africa's Giant Killers - Natural history documentary for BBC Natural World. Produced by Icon Films. Producer/ Director: Rob Sullivan
Ultimate Honey Badger - Natural history documentary for National Geographic International. Produced by Earth Touch, Durban. Producer/Director: Jess Reiss
Get Rich or Die Mining - An adventure documentary for National Geographic International. Produced by RDF Television. Producer/ Director: David Johnson
Leopards: 21st Century Cats - Natural history documentary for BBC Natural World. Produced by Parthenon Entertainment/Sky Vision. Director: Simon Nash
"Dino Crab - Natural History documentary for National Geographic International. Produced by Parthenon Entertainment/Sky Vision. Director: Phil Coles
Shocking Sharks - Natural history documentary for National Geographic International. Produced by Parthenon Entertainment/Sky Vision. Director: Phil Coles
Wild Hawaii - Natural history documentary for Animal Planet. Produced by Parthenon Entertainment/Sky Vision. Director: Simon Nash
Wild Appalachia - Natural history documentary for Animal Planet. Produced by Parthenon Entertainment/ Sky Vision. Director: Simon Nash
Walking Through History - History documentary for Channel 4. Produced by Wildfire TV. Series Producer: David Johnson; Presenter: Tony Robinson
Jungle Gremlins of Java - Natural history documentary for BBC Natural World. Produced by "Icon Films. Producer/ Director: Steve Gooder
Serengeti – Dangerous Journey – Natural History documentary for National Geographic International. Produced by Parthenon Entertainment. Director: Kate Dart
Nordic Wild – Natural history series for National Geographic International and Animal Planet. Produced by Parthenon Entertainment
Chimps of the Lost Gorge – Natural history documentary for BBC Natural World and Animal Planet. Produced and directed by Verity White.
Clash of the Tiger Queens – Natural history documentary for broadcast on National Geographic International. Produced by Amanda Theunissen for Parthenon Entertainment, Directed by Melanie Price.
Secrets of the Arabian Nights – History documentary. Directed by Mark Fielder and Lizzie White for Quickfire Media for BBC 4/2.
Miracle in the Marshes of Iraq – Natural history documentary. Directed by David Johnson and produced by Aqua Vita Films for BBC Natural World.
Kingdom of the Forest – Natural history documentary for National Geographic International. Produced by Parthenon Entertainment. Director: Joanne Lunt
Japan's Hidden Secrets – Natural history documentary. Parthenon Entertainment Ltd. for the National Geographic Channel; Produced by Amanda Theunissen; Directed by Dan Habershon Butcher.
Wild Russia – 6-part natural history series. Parthenon Entertainment Ltd. for the National Geographic Channel and Animal Planet. Series Produced by Amanda Theunissen; Directed by Dan Habershon-Butcher.
Snow Monkeys – Natural history documentary. BBC Natural World and Animal Planet. Produced and Directed by Ian Gray; Series Produced by Tim Martin
Humpbacks: from Fire to Ice – Natural history documentary. Kohola Pty Ltd, Queensland for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and National Geographic. Produced and Directed by Ross Isaacs; Narrated by David Attenborough; music co-composed with Barnaby Taylor
Lobo – the Wolf that Changed America – Natural history documentary. Brian Leith Productions for BBC Natural World and WNET. Produced by Brian Leith; Directed by Steve Gooder; Narrated by David Attenborough
SS Great Britain – Television, Radio and Internet advertising campaign. Fanatic Design for ITV
A Man among Bears – Natural history documentary. Aqua Vita Films for Five and National Geographic Channel. Produced by Bernard Walton; Directed by Dominick French
Athens – the Truth about Democracy ; 2-part history documentary series. Lion TV] for Channel 4. Directed by Timothy Copestake; Presented by Bettany Hughes
Lilacs ; Russian feature film on the life of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Additional music.
Fresh Fishing – the Carp - Natural history documentary. Swim Films Ltd for commercial DVD release. Produced and Directed by Moira Mann
A Man Among Wolves – Natural History documentary. Aqua Vita Films for Five and National Geographic. Produced by Bernard Walton; music co-composed with Barnaby Taylor
WorldSkills Olympics 2011 – Signature Theme. VET, London
Peter Scott – a Passion for Nature – Natural history documentary. Available Light Productions for BBC Two. Narrated by David Attenborough; Produced and directed by Sarah Pitt
Ancient Worlds Brought to Life – 3-part history documentary series for commercial DVD release, Doordarshan Television for Reader's Digest. Directed by Harriet Smith