When the verse gets to "…lend an ear" and "…pretty skin", I think the bass plays a D under the C chord. Otherwise you've done a brilliant job.

Email's fine: grankspoine@googlemail.com

I'd struggle to decode a written score, I'm afraid. I might be able to do something with a MIDI file, though…

This kind of music's all about work, though. "It doesn't bloody write itself, you know!", as Beethoven once said. Probably.

It has a good bouncy melodic topline suggestive of fast movement over water. You could also try handing off to another instrument/section (woodwinds, perhaps) while the strings play more legato underneath. Nice to hear someone else making this type of music.

I've never heard the song before so can't compare it with anything, but the performance and production here are excellent – a great vocal, dynamic drums and really good piano sound. Very good post-prod, too – EQ and dynamics.

I've never heard the Sting original so have no basis for comparison, but I thought this was very good – the vocals in particular…your voice is distinctive, strong and really professional-sounding. The arrangement when the chorus kicks in works very nicely, and I also liked the timbales punctuations.

https://www.billnelson.com/forum/the-world-and-his-wife/the-bebop-philharmonic-music-in-dreamland Tried this?

Thanks, Steve. You're right – I don't think there's any real interest here for music played on orchestral instruments. Members of the Bebop Philharmonic have mouths to feed and will return to whatever it was they were doing before the orchestra got together – quartets, duos and pavements outside supermarkets across the land.

I'm sure they have more profitable things to do – but thanks for listening.

Drums a bit busy, otherwise very good, and your voice is confident and strong. I liked the brief synths intro – which might've taken it in a quite different direction.

Thankyou. I like the intro – it has a touch of languid Ravel or Delius to it. Next – 'Music in dreamland'.

Thanks, Tom. There's another in the pipeline.

Thanks, Alec. Trumpets trying to play guitar lines may be what you heard as bluesy.

Thankyou! It's more orchestral brass than colliery band, but I hope to explore the latter further with the current project – 'Music in dreamland'. Shortly posting up 'Love with the mad man'.

Thanks, fellas. I'll post 'Mad man' when that's finished.

Thanks, Steve – that's most kind. It's the wealth of detail in the original song that makes it ripe for orchestration. I'm currently doing the same with 'Love with the mad man'.

Just click on the link above – it goes straight to the track.

I've posted this file on Soundcloud – here's the link: BebopDeluxe_swansong_orchestral by Grankspoine,https://soundcloud.com/grankspoine/bebopdeluxe_swansong_orchestral/s-MdXqUbqFpvc This isn't a straight reproduction of the original song. It's a re-imagining for orchestral instruments, so there are small changes to melody here and there because lines written for voice or guitar don't always work when played by other instruments. The recording isn't perfect either, due largely to limitations caused by the system used – but it should give a decent impression. I hope someone enjoys it.

Understood. I placed it in William's World as the music is obviously Bill's. I'll post my orchestral version if there's any interest. Nick.