Title - 'S.O.S. Titanic'
Artist - Howard Blake
For those that don't know, 'S.O.S. Titanic' is actually one of the most
intelligent and authentic versions of the horrible Titanic tragedy. An Anglo-American co-production (premiered by ABC way back on September 23rd, 1979) it ran for a huge three hours. It even turned out to be the costliest television film ever made!
It also featured a HUGE star cast: David Janssen, Helen Mirren, Ian Holm, David Warner, Harry Andrews and even Cloris Leachman. Directed by Billy Hale, the brilliantly-researched script by James Costigan was actually based on a first-hand account by passenger-survivor Lawrence Beesley.
OK, enough of the lead up, now to the music. Composed by Howard Blake ('The Duellists,' 'A Month in the Country'), one of the most popular and prolific living English composers, 'S.O.S. Titanic' is just one of those scores that you cannot believe has never been brought forth on CD before!
Having neglected the release of 'S.O.S. Titanic' before now, and for oh so many years, Blake's score is now brought to the fore - for a new generation to behold its majestic melodies. Combining a new score with some intricately-placed in-story "source" music means we get a well-crafted, beautiful work of musical art.
And so, and with a widely-seen movie now comes a widely-unremembered score; but that, hopefully, has all just changed. Indeed, the score was never released as an album, as already noted, but in the centenary year of 2012 there was a surge of interest in the film that some people think is the most accurate account of the story and contains the most dramatic and appropriate music. Now it's time for you to behold its musical magic for yourselves.
www.silvascreen.com