My Favorite Themes - Part XVIII

Score: Winged Migration by Bruno Coulais (The Chorus)

About the film: This Oscar-nominated documentary features footage of birds shot around the world...and even alongside the birds as some of them are flying! A truly unique and enjoyable viewing experience.

Theme: "The Highest Gander". This melody appears only twice - in the titular song and the haunting "The Swans Flight" - but it is such a beautiful, heartbreaking melody, especially when taken up by strings in the song or winds in the latter track, it is worthy of mention.

Other themes of interest: With the exception of the aforementioned melody and the song "Masters of the Field" reappearing in "After the Hunt", the score is essentially its own entity. It's still quite good, even with augmentation by rumbling clouds, flapping wings and (authentic, of course) bird calls. Witness the ethnic percussion in "Beating Drums", the chanting in "The Crossing" and the orchestral jauntiness of "Amidst the Factory Smoke" and "The Paper Parrot".

Availability: The CD should still be available from the label Higher Octave.