Harry Gregson-Williams

[Henry B 50]

Amusing interview

CC: ...And no John Powell or other collaborator on this one!

HGW: Yes, that's true, but I was sure to leave myself enough time to work on it.

CC: Now, I'll ask a question that I'm sure many film music fan's have thought about. Inevitably, people are going to compare what Howard Shore did for THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and what Harry Gregson-Williams has done for NARNIA.

HGW: What was that like, by the way?

CC: The score for THE LORD OF THE RINGS?

HGW: Yes. Nothing really stuck out to me. I doubt really recall any of the different themes or different textures. I think he used a lot of brass or something? Since I don't own any of the soundtracks to those movies, they certainly weren't my starting point or my finishing point. I certainly respect Howard Shore and he certainly did a good job, but it was never on my mind. I never thought I want to do this or that like him. I'm just not familiar enough with what he did actually.

CC: I see! So you were being facetious about not knowing much about Howard Shore's score!

HGW: Ha! No. Not at all!

[Morlock 11]

For a composer who is sometimes terrific, he does come off as rather ignorant about all other scores.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Cool, can't wait for the second Narnia score, which is apparently more traditionally-inclined than the first.

[indy4 155]

The score did sound very different from LotR. I guess if he isn't too familiare with other film score, that's fine. As long as he writes good music, I'm fine if he's a bit ignorant to the world in which he's active in.

And I bet JW wouldn't know about HS's LotR either.