Pastoral unease and bucolic menace
Matthew Sweet with a weekly series of programmes celebrating film music, and the re-release of The Wicker Man prompts a heady mix about life in the British countryside.
Matthew Sweet presents the first of a weekly series of programmes celebrating film music, and with the re-release of Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man there's a heady mix about life in the British countryside in today's selection.
Friday 27th September sees the re-release of Robin Hardy's cult British film The Wicker Man. On the occasion of its fortieth anniversary, Matthew Sweet looks back at the film's imaginative score – which Christopher Lee described as being some of the best music he's heard in a film - and takes it as a springboard to explore film music which evokes the uneasy and sometimes sinister side of British rural life, as portrayed in the music for the screen.
Featured scores include Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from 1973 with music by Ron Goodwin; Witchfinder General from 1968 with music by Paul Ferris; James Bernard's music for the 1957 Hound of the Baskervilles; Eric Korngold's music for The Adventures of Robin Hood; Marc Wilkinson's score for Blood On Satan's Claw; Ilan Eshkeri's Stardust; Patrick Doyle's music for Brave; and music for the 2013 film A Field in England.
Last on
Great composers and musical directors from the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ archives
Music Played
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Georges Auric
Suite from The Innocents: O Waly waly, Main Title, Coach Ride and Arrival at Bly
Singer: Anthea Kempston. Orchestra: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Philharmonic. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.- The Film Music of Georges Auric.
- Chandos.
- 11.
-
Blanck Mass
A Field in England - Chernobyl
Composer: Blanck Mass. -
Ilan Eshkeri
Stardust - The Star Shines and Coronation
Orchestra: London Metropolitan Orchestra and Voices. Conductor: Andy Brown.- Stardust: Music from the Motion Picture.
- DECCA.
- 19.
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Paul Ferris
Witchfinder General - Prelude and Romanza
Orchestra: London Studio Orchestra.- Witchfinder General (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
- De Wolfe Music.
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Paul Giovanni
The Wicker Man - Procession
Ensemble: The Wicker Man Ensemble and Chorus. Conductor: Gary Carpenter.- The Wicker Man - The Original Soundtrack Album.
- Silva Screen.
- 8.
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Paul Giovanni
The Wicker Man - Opening music / Loving Couples / The Ruined Church
Ensemble: The Wicker Man Ensemble and Chorus. Conductor: Gary Carpenter.- The Wicker Man - The Original Soundtrack Album.
- Silva Screen.
- 12.
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Paul Giovanni
The Wicker Man - Sumer is A-Cumen In
Ensemble: The Wicker Man Ensemble and Chorus. Conductor: Gary Carpenter.- The Wicker Man - The Original Soundtrack Album.
- Silva Screen.
- 11.
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Ron Goodwin
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Main Titles
Conductor: Ron Goodwin.- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
- Intrada.
- 1.
-
James Bernard
The Hound of the Baskervilles - Main Titles
Conductor: Lanny Meyers. Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.- Sherlock Holmes: Classic Themes from 221B Baker Street.
- Colosseum VSD.
- 13.
-
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
The Adventures of Robin Hood - Main Title
Orchestra: The Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: William T. Stromberg.- Korngold: The Adventures of Robin Hood.
- Marco Polo.
- 1.
-
Michel Legrand
The Go-Between - Theme and Variations 1 and 2
Performer: Catherine Michel. Performer: Michel Legrand. Orchestra: The Flemish Radio Orchestra.- Michel Legrand: The Essential Film Music Collection.
- Silva Screen.
- 13.
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Patrick Doyle
Brave - The Witch's Cottage
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: James Shearman.- Brave (Original Score).
- Walt Disney.
- 9.
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Marcus Wilkinson
Blood on Satan's Claw - Opening Titles
Ensemble: Unknown musicians.- Blood on Satan's Claw - Original Soundtrack.
- Trunk Records.
- 1.
This week's featured New Release
A brand new restoration that brings director Robin Hardy's original, previously lost, version of the cult classic back to the big screen.
Broadcast
- Sat 28 Sep 2013 16:00³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 3
Moon River: The story of the 1962 Oscars Best Song winner
Podcast
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Sound of Cinema
Matthew Sweet's weekly look at music for the screen