When the Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society's (BMDS) production of Shakespeare's ‘Love's Labour's Lost' opens at Daylesford this month, it will be with music composed and scored by a Bermudian.

The honour has fallen to Steve Gallant, and the request was made by visiting British director Jane McCullough. In fact, Miss McCullough had Mr. Gallant in her sights a year before rehearsals began, and he was only too pleased to accept her invitation because his fascination for the type of music associated with films, and by extension theatre, has been a passion since childhood.

“Film music inspired me, and I would study the intricacies of its orchestration,” he says. “I found the colouring of the music fascinating - how composers used different instruments to manipulate different moods, and I found myself wanting to do that, but I didn't have the avenue in Bermuda until recently. Now there are enthusiastic directors who are trying to make films locally.”

In fact, it was the Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) which opened up that avenue to Mr. Gallant, who adapted and composed music for the sponsors' trailer used at the start of each film, and also composed the songs and music for Charles Reilly's 2000 entry, ‘InPhocus: The Bottom Line'.

He is particularly delighted that he has been asked to write the music for ‘Love's Labour's Lost' because it will incorporate three songs by Cal Davis, a well-known and prolific American composer.

“In the 1970s he wrote some songs for a production Jane was involved in, and she wanted to use them again this year, so she sent me his original score, and I am adapting those songs for this production,” he says. “Being able to use Cal's music is an honour because he is a fantastic composer.”

Mr. Gallant also has high praise for the director, with whom he wrote one of the original songs in the play.

“I am truly delighted to be working with Jane because she a fantastic lady who knows exactly what she wants and can articulate that,” he says. “Hopefully I will be able to do her justice.”

In addition to the songs, Mr. Gallant is also composing original incidental music to suit the tone of the play, including an overture and interval music. As befits someone who is a computer operations manager by day, he has turned to a synthesiser to write and arrange the music, because it is the most practical way to simulate an orchestra.

“The advantages are that you can write in your own time, you don't have to pay musicians, and you can instantly hear the music and the director can suggest changes. It is a fantastic way to work with someone because you can hear the changes instantly, and you are not putting anyone else out. The disadvantage is that some people can detect it is not a real orchestra, but in a small theatre like Daylesford you can't have a 50-piece orchestra,” he says.

The fact that this 35-year-old Bermudian has no formal music degree behind his ambition has not impeded his steady progress since 1987, when he first composed and directed an original musical adaptation of ‘The Diary of Adrian Mole' for a BMDS summer youth programme. Since then, he has sequenced and arranged music for several BMDS, school and television productions.

He credits his wife Gaynor, who plays first oboe in the Bermuda Philharmonic orchestra, with transferring his fascination with music from passive to active. Accompanying her to a rehearsal, he witnessed for the first time how the various instruments come together for a universal result. Sitting there, he thought: “This is really cool. How can I be part of this?”

So he turned to then-Philharmonic director Graham Garton, with whom he not only studied orchestration, composition, music theory and percussion, but also wound up as a percussionist in the orchestra.

“Out of that came a desire to compose, and it just went from there,” Mr. Gallant says. “I credit Gaynor with instilling an interest, and she remains a real support.”

Reflecting on his involvement in the Shakespeare production, the modest composer still marvels at the new direction in which his hobby is taking him.

“It has been a very successful year for me,” he says. “I have been waiting for opportunities like this for years and years. In fact, I got to the point where I thought there would be no opportunities for me here. Now, the theatre seems to have opened up doors, and I have directors who, all of a sudden, are seeing the potential of having original music written for their plays.”

The box office for ‘Love's Labour's Lost' is now open at Daylesford Theatre on the corner of Washington and Dundonald Streets from 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. It will also be open on Friday and Saturday of this week, and on July 8 and 9 at the same times, as well as on performance nights from 5.30 p.m. to curtain time at 8 p.m. Major credit cards are accepted by telephone (292-0848) during box office hours.

Performances will take place at Daylesford theatre from July 10 to 20, except on July 14. Starting time will be 8 p.m.