More Essential Soundtrack Music for Autumn
Orchestral Works from Patrick Doyle, Rachel Portman and More
Nov 10, 2008 David Abraham Dueck
Here is another set of orchestral film music cues: some cheerful, some somber. But all of them are beautiful, inspirational and moving, and the reader is encouraged to seek them out.
“What Players Are They” from Hamlet by Patrick Doyle
One of the few sunny, optimistic cues in an otherwise brooding and heartbreaking score, this piece strongly resembles similarly prancing, elegant themes from Doyle’s score to Sense and Sensibility. High strings with a strong, chopping undercurrent make the cue an infectiously happy work.
“The Death of Falstaff” from Henry V by Patrick Doyle
This is a surprisingly moving elegy for one of Shakespeare’s most famous comic characters, and marks a definite highlight in Henry V, Patrick Doyle’s first score. Slow strings and noble French horns underscore the passing of Falstaff with dignity and restraint, but in a manner overflowing with melody and theme.
“The Wooing of Katherine” from Henry V by Patrick Doyle
A sweeping and tender love theme, and still one of Patrick Doyle’s most swooningly beautiful pieces, even after twenty years. Gorgeous layers of strings underneath woodwind solos crescendo to a rapturous conclusion, leaving a warm glow. This cue is of a type later expanded in Doyle’s powerful score to Ken Branagh’s adaptation of Frankenstein.
“221B Baker Street (Opening Theme)” from Sherlock Holmes by Patrick Gowers
The acclaimed Granada television series of Sherlock Holmes was superlative in every respect, including the excellent scores by Patrick Gowers. The opening theme for the series is an elegant and mysterious, but distinctly Victorian-sounding violin solo, forcefully pronouncing itself over a bed of swift string rhythms.
“Libera Me” from Sherlock Holmes by Patrick Gowers
Few sounds are more arresting than that of a full choir for boys and men singing in a cathedral: and this piece, a glorious choral arrangement of Gower’s own theme as a source piece for the series, is no less stunning. The recording is vibrant and resonant, and the lyrics (in Latin) are subtly fitting for the episode in which it was used, The Priory School. The piece slowly fades to an airy and mysterious string coda with a vaguely medieval flavor.
“Main Titles” from The Cider House Rules by Rachel Portman
Light strings and woodwinds support one of cinema’s best-loved piano melodies in this, a triumph of Rachel Portman’s career. Faintly similar to Jerry Goldsmith’s theme for Rudy, this is a sugar-sweet piece of addicting aesthetic.
“The Legend of Bagger” from The Legend of Bagger Vance by Rachel Portman
Rachel Portman exercises a rare but quite attractive role for brass (particularly solo trumpet) in this uplifting and touching theme. The trumpet and supporting string orchestra soar with an unbounded sense of optimism and patriotic fervor. Hard to find, but most definitely worth the discovery.
“End Titles” from Nicholas Nickleby by Rachel Portman
Rachel Portman is the go-to composer for light, elegant period scores, and her skill in the area is amply represented in her lovely, catchy score to the 2003 production of Nicholas Nickleby. Light dance pieces for solo fiddle and woodwind, with a subtle but infectious rhythmic background, make the lengthy “End Titles” an endlessly attractive listen. The cue is a delicate and wonderfully good-natured summary of the film’s major themes, and serves as a wondrous finale to a wonderful film.
“Man of the Hour” from Angels in the Outfield by Randy Edelman
Although better known for such scores as Gettysburg and Dragonheart, Randy Edelman wrote one of his most endearing and innocent themes for the moving Disney film Angels in the Outfield. A sparkling, heavenly piece (and appropriately!), it receives an elegiac, inspiring treatment on synthesizers and strings in “Man of the Hour” before transferring to a beautiful arrangement for solo piano. This is the kind of music that Randy Edelman does best. Fans of his work on Gettysburg and Gods and Generals will find a lot to like here.
“Hustle and Bustle” from The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain by Stephen Endelman
Strongly reminiscent of Rachel Portman’s work, Endelman’s score is nevertheless a splendid composition, prominently featuring rhythmic work by tambourine and plucked strings, with splashes of muted brass and ethnic whistle. Jaunty, cheery, and very, very English.
“The Wind and the Rain” from Twelfth Night by Shaun Davey
A fine score with noble and romantic tones not unlike the Shakespeare scores by Patrick Doyle, Shaun Davey’s work here is also distinctly Irish-sounding, and the score’s final tune is a surprisingly catchy one, with Shakespeare’s original lyrics sung by an enthusiastic Sir Ben Kingsley! Concertina and splashes of cymbal and bohdran (Irish drum), backed with the full support of the orchestra, make this a memorable and exciting cue. A bit difficult to find, but well worth the effort.
Explore Further
Enjoy these works (if you can find them): they are rewarding and worthwhile compositions, and each are representative of the quality of their respective albums. For further exploration of beautiful and dramatic film music, the works of Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Danny Elfman, George Fenton, Joe Hisaishi, John Debney, Trevor Jones, and Maurice Jarre are also highly recommended.
See Also: Essential Soundtrack Music for Autumn.
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