THE MIGHTY

TREVOR JONES

Rating:

Original Review: The Mighty was one of those movies which opened without any pomp or circumstance, but did extremely well because of good word of mouth, top-notch reviews, and three remarkable performances from Sharon Stone, Keiran Culkin and Elden Henson. Directed by Peter Chelsom, it tells the touching tale of two young boys in modern day Cincinnati, and the unlikely bond they develop through their respective adversity (one is physically disabled but extremely bright, the other a lumbering slow-learner) and their mutual affinity for the heroic tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Ever the man for a film with an Arthurian twist, Trevor Jones' energetic and full-bodied score takes a multi-pronged approach, combining four or five vastly different styles of music into an extremely satisfying whole. Medieval court music, hip urban synthesisers, American bluegrass and soaring orchestral and choral pieces are mixed and matched throughout the score but, rather than being the disparate mess it sounds in description, it actually comes together wonderfully, and ends up being one of the most surprisingly enjoyable scores of the year. The main title, 'Past Times', is an unusual track which combines three styles into one piece of music, all at the same time. It's a funky, highly entertaining cue: I mean, how often do you hear drum machines, chromatic harmonicas and ancient lutes in the same track? In a way, 'Past Times' pretty much sums up one of the film's recurring themes - that you make a better future for yourself by drawing on your past experiences and applying them to whatever situation you find yourself in. Past, present and future, all in one.

Much of the early part of the album is rather low-key, devoted to setting the scene through subtle piano and orchestral work. The mood begins to change somwewhat in 'Danger at the Lake', an exciting and bombastic action sequence to underscore the scene where the two boys combine their strengths (brains and brawn) to escape some school bullies. (James Horner fans might notice that the ominous two-note horn motif from Braveheart appears in this cue, and also later in the epic 'The Mighty Quest'). The cool urban grooves appear again in the toe-tapping 'City Walkers', but the best three tracks are undoubtedly the last three. 'My Noble Knight' is Jones' own favourite, a soft, low-key, but intensely moving piece featuring a stunning 8-minute choral elegy by boy soprano Chris Baron. 'Free To Fly' is when Jones really lets the emotion rip with a large-scale performance of his soaring orchestral theme, and the conclusive 'Future Times' echoes the style set out in the main title, but has a slightly more optimistic and upbeat sound, including a fantastic Riverdance-esque Irish jig theme.

Jones' jig is also the basis for "The Mighty", an insanely catchy and enjoyable rock song performed by Sting, which has marvellously heroic lyrics, a male voice choir chanting 'Freak The Mighty' and plays over the film's end credits. It was nominated for a Golden Globe, but lost out to the song from Warner's animated adventure Quest for Camelot. Considering the eclectic approach Jones adopted here, The Mighty could have been a total mess - a real "freak the mighty" in soundtrack terms. It is a tribute to Jones skill, and the fact that he was quite obviously inspired by the film itself, that it has turned out as well as it has. In the wake of Dark City, Merlin and the grossly underrated For Roseanna, Jones' career seems to be taking a definite turn for the better after a few lean years. If 1999 is going to be the year for 'big themes', as he himself precicts, we could be in for a real treat!

Track Listing:

Running Time: 65 minutes 54 seconds

Pangaea 61868-10028-2-6 (1998)

Music composed by Trevor Jones. Conducted by Geoffrey Alexander. Performed by The London Symphony Orchestra. Orchestrations by Trebor Jones, Geoffrey Alexander and Julian Kershaw. Featured musical soloists Phil Todd, Craig Ogden, Gwen Mok, Clem Clempson, Mark Feltham, Dermot Crehan, Paul Clarvis and Trevor Jones. Special vocal performances by Chris Baron, Miriam Stockley, Janet Mooney, Lance Ellington and Phil Nichol. Recorded and mixed by Simon Rhodes. Album produced by Trevor Jones.


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