Case Study: Asian British Music (ABM)

What Was Required:

Asian British Music (ABM) are specialists in creating high-end showpiece events, from destination weddings and corporate themes to traditional ceremonies. Their reputation is built on meticulous planning and high-energy live entertainment.

The initial brief was to provide a bespoke arrangement of the Sikh National Anthem, ‘Deh Shiva’, for a small ensemble. This was a high-profile, quick-turnaround project destined for a performance at Lord’s Cricket Ground. The music needed to be instantly accessible for musicians to sight-read under pressure, while remaining flexible enough to accommodate different ensemble variations for future bookings.

ABM are hardworking performers who often play loud, interactive party music. Even for a formal event like this, the sheet music had to be clear and the parts idiomatic, allowing the musicians to focus on engaging with the audience and maintaining a high-energy atmosphere rather than being buried in complex notation.

The Brief:

"We need an arrangement of 'Deh Shiva' that works for our ensemble at Lord’s. It needs to be effective, easy to read on the move, and adaptable. We need a quick turnaround to get this ready for the performance."

Behind The Music:

For this project, simplicity was the key to effectiveness. Because these charts are often used "on the move" in dynamic environments, the focus was as much on typesetting and part engraving as it was on the musical notes themselves.

I approached the arrangement with instrument flexibility at the forefront. By writing parts that could be easily covered by varying line-ups, I ensured that ABM could fix different ensembles for future gigs without needing a complete rewrite.

The workflow involved:

• Context Analysis: Understanding that the music would be performed in a large, open-air stadium (Lord's) and at high-energy weddings meant the orchestration needed to be "hard-hitting" and robust.

• Clear Engraving: Creating clean, uncluttered scores that allow for easy sight-reading during a live, interactive show.

• Future-Proofing: Designing the parts so they remain relevant for ABM’s evolving catalogue of wedding parade music.

By dedicating time to the "performance ergonomics" - how a musician actually interacts with the paper during a loud event - the writing stage resulted in a product that was both musically faithful to the anthem and practically superior for the players.

What They Said:

"Really appreciate your quick turnaround and for working with me and Dom to get this work done so quickly." Jatender Heer – Founder and CEO, Asian British Music

"I think the new tracks are working great, and we’ve got a quicker tempo with the drummers. It was really rocking last weekend!" Dom Cotton – Ensemble Lead

The Result:

Since the success of the Lord's Cricket Ground performance, I have received a consistent stream of follow-on work from ABM. We are currently updating their entire catalogue of wedding parade music to provide a consistent brand sound, ensuring their arrangements are flexible, hard-hitting, and always relevant to the modern event circuit.

Link to ABM’s work: Click Here