The
Chandos
Film Music series has until now concentrated solely
on historic scores by eminent, formally trained composers
- particularly British composers – composers of the calibre
of Vaughan Williams, Alwyn, Bax and Bliss; and Korngold working
in Hollywood, and Shostakovich working in Russia. This score
for the new film of
Brideshead Revisited breaks the
mould. It seems that Chandos chose to release Adrian Johnston’s
score because the BBC Philharmonic were selected to record
the film’s soundtrack. It will be remembered that Chandos
had used that Manchester-based orchestra for so many its
film music recordings.
Clearly
the new score begs comparison with the music for the original
Brideshead TV
series with music by Geoffrey Burgon (Silva
Screen FILMCD723 - see
review).
Its title music, a majestic yet somewhat forlorn theme set
behind the opening credits and a picture of the Brideshead
estate (Castle Howard in Yorkshire in reality, of course),
was so redolent of a crumbling aristocracy. The Burgon music
became
quite
celebrated
and,
as I remember,
the CD of
the TV series’ music sold
well. I have to say that I will be surprised if this CD will
emulate its success.
I
had not come across the name of the composer, Adrian Johnston
before. The lavish colour booklet, printed on quality art
paper, showing many stills from the new film, relates that
Johnston was born in Cumbria in 1961 and read English at
Edinburgh University but had decided to follow a career in
music. There is no suggestion that he has had any formal
music college training. Whilst still a student, Johnston
began to play drums in pop groups, joining a band that would
eventually become The Waterboys. Later he travelled around
the world accompanying silent films as a one-man band. He
has since worked: writing and collaborating on scores for
theatre productions, films and TV. He won an Emmy for his
score for Charles Sturridge’s mini-series
Shackleton in
2002 and a BAFTA for his score for Poliakoff’s
Capturing
Mary in 2008. The conductor, Terry Davies - who with
David Firman helped Johnston orchestrate this score - has
also worked extensively in TV and films, as orchestrator
and music director on many theatre, operatic, film and TV
productions. His dance music was featured in Mira Nair’s
Vanity
Fair and he wrote songs for TV’s
Tipping the Velvet.
I
have not seen the new film yet, so I cannot vouch for this
score’s effectiveness as set against its visual images, but
I do remember the TV series and Evelyn Waugh’s novel. This
film is directed by Julian Jarrold and was written by Andrew
Davies and Jeremy Brock. Johnston’s score, to my mind, is
very much an example of the present genre of film scores;
this
Brideshead score exhibits a slight tendency towards
the formulaic. It’s often doleful with an ever-present mood
of melancholic or wistful nostalgia and vulnerability. The
music ruminates up and down the scales and meanders, often
ambiguously, through ripples and tremolandos. It has to be
said that no strong theme emerges although once or twice,
in cues such as ‘A Crock of Gold’ and ‘Venice’ something
like a theme tries to emerge. In ‘Venice’ there is an attractive
violin solo. In fact there are interesting colourations and
effects for the Venice-set cues and the harp and piano arpeggios
of ‘Arcadia’ are pleasant. In its opening pages, ‘The First
Visit’ has orchestrations and form very reminiscent of Eric
Coates. There are some nice evocative touches in ‘Oxford’ -
this cue has some of the very few upbeat passages in the
whole score - suggesting rippling waters and dreaming spires. ‘Wise
Old Wine’ is a jazz interlude for violin and guitar. I wonder
if Johnston had been inspired by the partnership of Menuhin
and Grappelli?
This
is amiable and pleasing stuff but nothing really memorable.
Maybe Chandos should concentrate on its historical film scores?
Ian Lace
Chris Garrick
(violin); John Etheridge (guitar); Peter Dixon (cello);
Jonathan Scott (piano) 
