Kingdom of Heaven (soundtrack)
Encyclopedia
Kingdom of Heaven is the soundtrack to 2005 Ridley Scott
motion picture of the same name
. The soundtrack was composed, co-orchestrated and conducted by Harry Gregson-Williams
,and performed in large part by Gavyn Wright and the London Session Orchestra, and released by Sony Classical on April 26, 2005. It is a medley of choral hymns featuring Catherine Bott
and Iestyn Davies, instrumentals and percussions, and full orchestral performances.
; one critic claimed the soundtrack "transcends the film and works as a cohesive album that develops both thematically and musically throughout". Although another reviewer thought the film score "surprisingly forgettable... it should fail to connect with film music listeners and moviegoers alike", Jerry McCulley thought the soundtrack "rises admirably to the occasion with a sweeping orchestral score that masterfully trades on a wealth of disparate historical and stylistic influences".
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
motion picture of the same name
Kingdom of Heaven (film)
Kingdom of Heaven is a 2005 epic action film directed by Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan. It stars Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Marton Csokas, Brendan Gleeson, Kevin McKidd, Alexander Siddig, Ghassan Massoud, Edward Norton, Jon Finch, Michael Sheen and Liam...
. The soundtrack was composed, co-orchestrated and conducted by Harry Gregson-Williams
Harry Gregson-Williams
Harry Gregson-Williams is a prolific British composer, orchestrator, conductor, and music producer. He is best known for his film scores, of which he has composed over sixty using electronic music and orchestral pieces...
,and performed in large part by Gavyn Wright and the London Session Orchestra, and released by Sony Classical on April 26, 2005. It is a medley of choral hymns featuring Catherine Bott
Catherine Bott
Catherine Bott is a British soprano and a baroque specialist.Following her studies at The King's High School For Girls, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, with Arthur Reckless, she began her career as a member of the English baroque-jazz crossover group, The Swingle Singers...
and Iestyn Davies, instrumentals and percussions, and full orchestral performances.
Track listing
- Burning the Past (2:48)
- Crusaders (1:41)
- Swordplay (2:01)
- A New World (4:21)
- To Jerusalem (1:38)
- Sibylla (1:49)
- Ibelin (2:05)
- Rise a Knight (2:43)
- The King (5:45)
- The Battle of Kerak (5:36)
- Terms (4:29)
- Better Man (3:29)
- Coronation (3:03)
- An Understanding (4:13)
- Wall Breached (3:43)
- The Pilgrim Road (4:07)
- Saladin (4:44)
- Path to Heaven (1:38)
- Light of Life – Ibelin Reprise (2:10)
Additional music and lyrics
The film also includes several other notable contemporary and historical listings not included on the released soundtrack:- Vide Cor MeumVide cor meum"Vide Cor Meum" is a song composed by Patrick Cassidy based on Dante's "La Vita Nuova", specifically on the sonnet "A ciascun'alma presa", in chapter 3 of the "Vita Nuova".-Composition:...
– The operatic ariaAriaAn aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
during King Baldwin IV's funeral, originally composed for the soundtrack of the film Hannibal. - Ave Regina cælorum – The first stanza of this twelfth-century antiphonAntiphonAn antiphon in Christian music and ritual, is a "responsory" by a choir or congregation, usually in Gregorian chant, to a psalm or other text in a religious service or musical work....
is used on the soundtrack in the track "Burning the Past". - Raimon de MiravalRaimon de MiravalRaimon de Miraval was a troubadour and, according to his vida, "a poor knight from Carcassonne who owned less than a quarter of the castle of Miraval." Favoured by Raymond VI of Toulouse, he was also later associated with Peter II of Aragon and Alfonso VIII of Castile...
, Chansoneta farai Vencut – Occitan troubadourTroubadourA troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
lyric of the early thirteenth century, used in the closing scene, and in the Director's Cut, in the flashback with Balian and his wife, performed by Ensemble Convivencia. - Guiot de DijonGuiot de DijonGuiot de Dijon was a Burgundian trouvère. The seventeen chansons ascribed to him are found in two chansonniers: the Chansonnier du Roi and the less reliable Berne Chansonnier...
, Chanterai por mon corage – French trouvèreTrouvèreTrouvère , sometimes spelled trouveur , is the Northern French form of the word trobador . It refers to poet-composers who were roughly contemporary with and influenced by the troubadours but who composed their works in the northern dialects of France...
lyric from the time of the Third CrusadeThird CrusadeThe Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
, used in the Director's Cut for Godfrey's flashback as he remembers Balian's mother. - Valhalla/Viking Victory – Music used during the "knighting" scene before the siege, originally composed for the soundtrack of the film "The 13th WarriorThe 13th WarriorThe 13th Warrior is a 1999 historical fiction action film starring Antonio Banderas as Ahmad ibn Fadlan and Vladimir Kulich as Buliwyf; it is based on the novel Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton. It was directed by John McTiernan and an uncredited Crichton.The 13th Warrior is regarded as a...
" by Jerry GoldsmithJerry GoldsmithJerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
. - Passion Chorale – Music played during Raynald's death (specifically, an excerpt from St. Matthew's Passion, BWV 240, by J.S. Bach "Befiehl du deine Wege", performed by the Hilliard Ensemble and Christoph Poppen and recorded for the album "Morimur", track 8 – Choral: Befiehl Du Deine Wege).
- EpitaphEpitaphAn epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
– A Nasheed-style song in Arabic by Luis DelgadoLuis DelgadoLuis Delgado is a Spanish artist, creating music which contains Andalusian, oriental and modern elements. Delgado has made a CD with a collection of poems by Ibn al-Zaqqaq set to music. It is called El sueno de Al-Zaqqaq....
from the Album Sueno de al-Zaqqaq ("The Dream of al-Zaqqaq"), is played in the scene in which Saladin enters the city. - Bibbe Leydi – This song is performed by Baaba Maal & Masour Seck, used in the Directors's Cut, song played while Balian let a toy boat floating along the water down the log in Ibelin.
- Rannanu (Sing with Joy) by the Savae San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble – Plays while the crusader army marches through the desert before the battle of Hattin.
- Saa Magni (Death is Terrible) by Oumou SangareOumou SangaréOumou Sangare is a Malian Wassoulou musician, sometimes referred to as "The Songbird of Wassoulou." Wassoulou is a historic region south of the Niger River, and the music there is descended from traditional hunting songs, and is accompanied by a calabash...
– Plays during the sex scene between Balian and Sibylla.
Reception
The commercial soundtrack met with generally positive reviews, was considered one of the best film scores of 2005 and a top seller on Amazon.comAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
; one critic claimed the soundtrack "transcends the film and works as a cohesive album that develops both thematically and musically throughout". Although another reviewer thought the film score "surprisingly forgettable... it should fail to connect with film music listeners and moviegoers alike", Jerry McCulley thought the soundtrack "rises admirably to the occasion with a sweeping orchestral score that masterfully trades on a wealth of disparate historical and stylistic influences".