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The Soundtrack

THE DARK CRYSTAL

ORIGINAL SOUND TRACK RECORDING

COMPOSED BY

TREVOR JONES

About the music for The Dark Crystal, Mr. Jones has written:

"From the very first in scoring the music for THE DARK CRYSTAL, I set out to find two melodic ideas--one for the Mystics, the other for the Skeksis.  These two motifs, when counterpointed, fuse to become one, and in the Great Conjunction at the film's climas they join to become the central theme.

"In the Overture this central theme is contrasted with the Landstrider motif, the nearest musical idea that not only provides good musical balance, but, more important, reflects the fantasy world of the film; the melody line is played by one of three hundred electronic sounds specially realized for the film on the Synclavier Computer, the Fairlight CMI Computer, and the Prophet Synthesizer, and used with traditional symphonic tone colors to heighten the orchestration.  The Power Ceremony, which opens the film, fuses electronic sounds with the orchestration to provide a ritualistic and sinister atmosphere.

"A synthesized organ accompanies the brass in the grandiose baroque setting of the Skeksis funeral.  But the transition to the Mystic ceremony is made by a double-flageolet, an English Regency instrument acquired for the film because of its characteristic capability of simultaneously sounding two independent pitches.  And in the feasting scene in the Pod Village merry-making is to the music of such medieval instruments as the grumhorn, titin, and tabor.  The modern okema tlaves and the double-flageolet complete a line-up spanning five centuries of instruments."

PERFORMED BY THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

CONDUCTED BY MARCUS DODS

First Violins

Michael Davis: Leader

Ashley Arbuckle: Co-Leader

Lennox Mackenzie: Principal

Nigel Broadbent: Sub-Principal

Michal Humphries, Robin Brightman, Robert Clark, Sydney Cloter, Gillian Findlay, Dennis Gaines, Colin Renwick, Robert Retallick, Cyril Rueben, David Goodall, Jeremy Williams, David Llewellyn

Second Violins

Warwick Hill: Principal

Neil Watson: Co-Principal

Samuel Artis, William Brown, Stanly Castle, Geoffrey Creese, Terry Morton, Donald Stewart, Thomas Swift, David Williams, Norman Clarke, Brian Gaulton, Sue Kinnersley, Ian Rhodes

Violas

Alexander Taylor: Principal

Brain Clarke: Co-Principal

Peter Norris: Sub-Principal

Patrick Hooley, Michael Mitchell, William Sumpton, Clarence Atkinson, David Hume, Patrick Vermont, Richard Holttum, Duff Burns

Double Brasses

Bruce Mollison: Principal

Paul Marrion: Co-Principal

Arthur Griffiths: Sub-Principal

John Cooper, Gerald Newson, John Hill, Simon Hetherington, Geoffrey Downs, Michael Brittain

Oboes

Anthony Camden: Principal

Robert Lord: Assistant Principal

Barry Davis:  Assistant Principal

John Lawley

Bassoons

Martin Gatt: Principal

Robert Bou

Cellos

Douglas Cummings: Principal

Rod MacGrath: Co-Principal

Ray Adams: Sub-Principal

Noel Bradshaw, Clive Gillinson, Paul Kegg, Ken Law, Francis Saunders, Jack Long, Douglas Powrie, Martin Jackson

Flutes

Peter Lloyd: Principal

Richard Taylor: Assistant Principal

Lowry Sanders, Francis Nolan, Christopher Taylor, William Bennett

Clarinets

Jack Bryner: Principal

Roy Jowitt: Principal

Ronald Moore, Stephen Trier, John Stenhouse, Thomas Kelly

Synthesizers

David Lawson: Synclavier

Brian Gascoigne: Fairlight Computer

David Firman: Prophet 5

Soloists

Maurice Murphy: Trumpet

Christopher Taylor: Flageolet

Skaila Kanga: Harp

Richard Harvey: Pipes

Morris Pert: Percussion

Catherine Bott: Vocal

Orchestrations TREVOR JONES, PETER KNIGHT, JOHN COLEMAN

Recorded at THE MUSIC CENTRE, Wembly; ANVIL ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS, London

Recording Engineers JOHN RICHARDS, The Music Centre; ERIC TOMLINSON, Anvil Abbey Road

Music Mixed by JOHN RICHARDS and DICK LEWZEY, The Music Centre

Editing Engineer PETER WOOLLISCROFT; Digital Editing ADVISION STUDIOS, London

Assistant Engineers PAUL HUME, TIM PENNINGTON, MARK PHILLIPS; The Music Centre, GEOFF GODDARD, Anvil Abbey Road

Album Coordinator GRAHAM WALKER

Music Coordinator VICTORIA SEALE

Album Compiled and Produced by TREVOR JONES

Executive Producer JIM HENSON

The Production

Production Notes * Credits * Crew * Interviews * Director's Cut

Storyboards * Props * Facts * Box Office * Reviews * Movie Quotes

Comments?  Email: webmaster@habidabad.com

This is an unofficial DARK CRYSTAL website.  THE DARK CRYSTAL, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of The Jim Henson Company.  © 2001.  Visit the official website at www.henson.com.

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