Whistler Dave lands top film, TV roles

Reporter: Ken Bennett
Date published: 08 August 2017


WORLD champion whistler Dave Morris is really reaching for the stars with his latest musical ventures.

Because the ultra-talented virtuoso, from Dobcross, has landed two roles in major film and TV productions to heighten his extraordinary talents.

Dave is featured on the soundtrack of The Shape of Water, starring Michael Shannon and Octavia Spencer, which is released in December.

He was booked directly by the London Symphony Orchestra to whistle the film's compelling main theme and five other pieces.

The music was composed by Frenchman Alexandre Desplat, who wrote music for The Kings Speech, and the romantic horror film is directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor.

It stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer.

Set against the background of the Cold War, it tells the story of a mute janitor and her colleague working in a government laboratory who discover an amphibious man in a water tank.

The janitor, trapped in life of silence, isolation, and loneliness, befriends the creature and her future is changed forever.

And, continuing the spooky strand, Dave whistles the theme and reoccurring tune for a 13-part anthology, "Creeped Out," a co-production between Salford-based CBBC Productions and DHX Media.

Created by Bede Blake and Rob Butler, the riveting stories combine sci-fi, horror, adventure, suspense, fantasy, mystery and airs in October.

Dave said: "I got the music on email the night before the recording. It was booked for a three-hour session but I did it in 45 minutes!

"Joe Kraemer from Los Angeles who composed the music for the series and also the Tom Cruise film Mission Impossible said: 'You're the man.'

Dave has just returned from two sell out concerts in Alicante with his friend Ian Gibson, former landlord of The Navigation, Dobcross, who sells property in Spain but runs a band, Just Brass, made up of ex-pats.

Dave's TV success began after he recorded The Post Horn Gallop as the backing track to a TV commercial heralding the arrival of the latest BMW Mini.

His impressive 60-second musical serenade ignited a worldwide TV and internet audience - making him a hot new property in the advertising world.

Added Dave, who had also recorded a tune for a TSB TV commercial: "It's a new string to my bow alongside my concert and after dinner appearances."