Music Composed by Harry Gregson-Williams
Rating: *** 1/2

Something alarming occured late last year that should cause most film music fans to scratch their heads, but passed without much thought and that was the seemingly easy trade of assignments between two composers. Hans Zimmer was originally slated to score Kingdom of Heaven, while Harry Gregson-Williams would score the comp-animated caper Madagascar. Due to what might have been scheduling, or perhaps due to Zimmer having just scored the similar mud-caked, get-thee-to-the-battlement King Arthur, Hans and Harry swapped pics as easily as lonely singles on AOL instant messenger. Now call me old-fashioned, but what happened to the seemingly antiquated idea that certain composers are just right for a certain job, and that in fact the voice of one composer is so unique that they are not so quickly switched out? Are Hans Zimmer and Harry Gregson-Williams so interchangeable that Ridley Scott can have one or the other and have no cause for concern in his incredibly charmed life? Perhaps I am just being old-fashioned. Harry rose from the House that Zim built, after all. A studio that, if it didn’t invent the sub-genre, at least perfected it — the pop/rock/orchestral/world-beat fusion film score. If Hans had scored Kingdom of Heaven, would it have really been much different?

Harry Gregson-Williams

The short answer is yes, and no. Gregson-Williams has proven in the past few years that he is more than just capable of recycling Media Ventures action tropes. Whether it was the sly charm of Shrek 2 (missing the John Powell zing), or the jungle-jammed The Rundown, to Sinbad and The Seven Seas, which had film music crix hitting on it and angling to buy it a drink, Harry has established his second act. He’s more than just a guy who can write like Zimmer and is available, he’s a real bonafide film composer. On the other hand, Kingdom of Heaven bends all the rules in a way only a pop-infused film score can — a common card dealt by MV ex-patriats. Humming synth beds, the portentous male choir (”The Battle of Kerak”), a battery of over-the-top percussion (”The Pilgrim Road”), the mix of electronic string and brass samples despite the presence of a sizeable London orchestra on the clock. There’s also the ethnic elements: vocals (”The King”, “Terms”), and ethnic percussion (”To Jerusalem”, “Ibelin”), bringing us one step closer to the conclusion that Hans Zimmer invented a) the duduk and b) the female voice.

There is a distinct lack of strong thematic material on display here (the choral part of “Burning The Past” is reprised several times in the film, I guess making it a theme), but that’s never been particularly important to me. Instead Kingdom plays like a long mood piece, dark and elegant alternating with light and ethereal moments. If this album hits the skids it’s because it’s often too slow and un-engaging and gorged with frustrating Middle-east/ethnic source material. The use of electric cello does try to tie the score together, but sometimes it’s played (by Martin Tillman) in a discordant, irritated way that only reminds me of the unbearable contributions by Klaus Badelt to Constantine.

The major thing Kingdom of Heaven has going for it is it’s choral and voice work that, despite the fact that it is dead-serious, never crumbles under an over-pretentious weight. It is more elegant that it is pompous, and given the film’s religious tonalities and subject matter, a Catholic-mass like quality is totally appropriate. Speaking of mass, there are moments here that evoke a funereal like feel (”Burning The Past”, “Coronation”, “Path To Heaven”). There are plenty of major highlights, including the opening track, the gentle “A New World” (temped with Braveheart?), “Sibylla”, “The King” which features Lisbeth Scott’s vocals and the first few minutes of “Better Man”, which reaches the same emotional resonance as Elliot Goldenthal’s finale from Alien3 (this all ends quickly before dissolving into a quick percussion action bit complete with Lebo M-like vocals, circa Tears of The Sun — why, why, why!?). The album closes with the bizarre “Light of Life (Ibelin Reprise)”.

There has been a lot of useless talk about whether or not this score can out-thump and out-wail Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator. But there really is no question — folks still remember Gladiator, whether they love it or hate it. Kingdom of Heaven is surprisingly forgettable and it should fail to connect with film music listeners and moviegoers alike. Gladiator may have ushered in an era of wailing female vocals, but it backed that up with muscular action writing and top-notch emotional scoring. There’s enough here — “Burning The Past”, “Sibylla”, “The Pilgrim Road” — to vouch for Heaven, but the experience is much more down to earth.

Music Composed and Conducted by Harry Gregson-Williams; Orchestrated by Harry Gregson-Williams and Alistair King; Recorded and Mixed by Peter Cobbins; Produced by Harry Gregson-Williams and Peter Cobbin; Availability: In print; Label (Catalogue): Sony Classical, (SK 94419); Release Date: April 26, 2005

01. Burning the Past (2′48)
02. Crusaders (1′41)
03. Swordplay (2′01)
04. A New World (4′21)
05. To Jerusalem (1′38)
06. Sibylla (1′49)
07. Ibelin (2′05)
08. The King (5′45)
09. The Battle of Kerak (5′36)
10. Rise a Knight (2′43)
11. Terms (4′29)
12. Coronation (3′03)
13. Better Man (3′29)
14. An Understanding (4′13)
15. Wall Breached (3′43)
16. The Pilgram Road (4′07)
17. Saldin (4′44)
18. Path to Heaven (1′38)
19. Ibelin Reprise - Vocals and Lyrics by Natacha Atlas (2′11)

Total Playing Time: 62′04