From Wicked to Avatar: 2025’s Top Film Music Moments & A Composition using our 2025 Releases

In this holiday reflection, Paul Thomson looks back on 2025 through the music he has written and the sound worlds that defined the year. Drawing on woodwinds, horns, and brass, and a broad array of percussion, he shares how these forces shape narrative and colour in scoring. Solo strings and the expressive sweep of Motif Brass stand alongside texture and intrigue from Symphonic Extras, Château Piano, BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Ronrocco, Tenebra, and the Mervyn Warren Choir. Across the piece, he leans into Andy Blaney’s performance patches and resists using quantisation, letting human nuance guide tempo and dynamic arc. Much of the work is realised with Spitfire Symphony Orchestra at its core, the AIR Studios recorded ensemble grounding the music in space and resonance. Paul reflects on the film landscape of the year and shares compositional insights, including how motion supports narrative, how texture opens up space in harmony, and how voicing and articulation bring clarity to intent. This is a year marked by craft, collaboration, and sustained musical purpose. With gratitude to the performers, engineers, and rooms that made the work possible, Paul looks ahead to a new year of recordings and updates, beginning with momentum and care. 0:00 Introduction and 2025 Releases Recap 02:02 2025 Film Music Highlights 07:12 Composition Setup and First Playback 07:18 Layout and Libraries Used 08:47 Full Piece Playback 10:05 Brass and Strings Techniques; Harp Tips 13:15 Percussion Orchestration and Tuned Instruments 13:43 Percussion Events-Based Approach 17:50 Woodwinds, Brass Writing, and Rolls 18:06 Woodwind Flourishes and Melody 18:49 Brass as Unified Character 20:02 Harmonic Series Style Thinking 20:39 Recorded vs Played 22:25 Ronroco, Ambience and the Mervyn Warren Choir 26:06 Full Piece Playback 27:47 Mod Wheel and Expression Usage 28:28 2025 Round-Up and 2026 Plans