Best use of a choral group in film scores

[David Coscina 3]

Listening to Yared's TROY excerpts, this poll came to mind...Keep in mind most of these choices will be from that past 30 years.

[David Coscina 3]

I haven't counted much from 2000 on just because....I would have nominated Yared's TROY but I wanted to stay with official soundtrack releases.

Most of the above, I love. Agnes of God has got some beautiful, moving pieces on it and I think is Delerue's finest achievement. Same with poledouris' Conan. But Prokofiev beats 'em all in the end.

I'm sorry for exclusing Rosza, Newman (Alfred), and Tiomken along with North but I haven't heard enough of their output to nominated a specific score. Maybe I should have included Ben Hur....

[A24 4,331]

I think Empire of the Sun is one of the best soundtracks of the previous century. I had no other choice than to vote for it.

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Alex Cremers

[David Coscina 3]

DAMN, I forgot Elfman's EDWARD SCISSORHANDS. RATS RATS RATS.

[Trumpeteer 302]

What about Ennio Morricone's "The Mission?" Great stuff. London Voices' best work until "The Phantom Menace"

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

Too hard to choose. But why is ROTJ not in the list?

Marian - who thinks that must be among JW's finest uses of choral music.

[John Crichton 4]

Too hard to choose. But why is ROTJ not in the list?

Marian - who thinks that must be among JW's finest uses of choral music.

And The Phantom Meanace.

[Lurker 5]

Where's The Omen or better yet, Damien: Omen 2?

Neil

[King Mark 3,631]

2 best ones IMO:

Return of the Jedi(for The Dark Side Beckons)

The Final Conflict(for The Second Comming)

K.M.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

Where's The Omen or better yet, Damien:  Omen 2?

Whoopsie. Or, as KM mentioned, Final Conflict!

Marian - who has a feeling he's still forgetting some other important ones.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I voted CE3K, it moves me most of all those listed.

[David Coscina 3]

Yeah, there's a lot of great works that missed.

[Morlock 11]

IMO it's impossible to pick one.

Morlock- who thinks that the Final Conflict is the best of the 3 Omen scores. The first one to me sounds almost goofy at points, and the second, although sounding more serious, Doesn't add enough. The third is the perfect balance (which is kinda funny, concidering the relative quality of the 3 films).

[Ollie 1,059]

I agree, it's impossible to pick one choice. All of the above have great chorus pieces.

Other ones that could be included are The Last Valley by Barry and The Hunt For Red October by Poledouris.

[Trumpeteer 302]

"The Omen" is the best.

Jeff

[Romão 2,274]

Well, I do like Bram Stoker's Dracula, but this is case where comparing the choral work with Carmina Burana is a not an unfair comparision (as it happens often with film music, where all choral passages are seen as rip offs of Carl Orff).

Close Encounters has some amazing passages. Truly awe inspiring, but not by shoving the choir down your throat (a la Lord of the Rings). So it gets my vote. I don't know all the choices, but I think it contains some of the more effective and yet somewhat subdued use of choir I have ever heard.

[Romão 2,274]

Menken's The Hunchback of Notre Dame also had some impresive choral work.

[diskobolus 3]

DAMN, I forgot Elfman's EDWARD SCISSORHANDS.  RATS RATS RATS.

Yeah, I was going to say I would have chosen that.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Tough time choosing between LOTR and conan.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

Well, I do like Bram Stoker's Dracula, but this is case where comparing the choral work with Carmina Burana is a not an unfair comparision (as it happens often with film music, where all choral passages are seen as rip offs of Carl Orff).

I honestly don't see much more relation to Orff in Dracula than in other film scores which are compared to it for no reason. BTW, I also think Kilar can do considerably better than Dracula (a good score, but not *that* great apart from the film, I think).

Close Encounters has some amazing passages. Truly awe inspiring, but not by shoving the choir down your throat (a la Lord of the Rings).

CE3K has some very good choral stuff, reminiscent of Ligeti. The special things about LOTR's chorals are the languages they're in, but I don't think they're the most notable thing about those scores.

Marian - who expected Stefan to vote for Conan.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

D'oh, I just accidentally clicked on Conan.

Marian - who didn't mean to vote.

[Rogue_Leader 2]

Definitely Conan! That score is bloody genius.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

D'oh, I just accidentally clicked on Conan.

Marian - who didn't mean to vote.

Let's just say you were destined to.

Stefancos- who used his evil stare to bend Marians mind towards Conan.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

As with LOTR, I don't think the choral parts are the best thing about Conan, though they're of course very good.

Marian - who mixed up this thread and the "best superhero" thread when clicking on Conan.

[nja 0]

Alexander Nevsky first with CE3K in a close second.

[TheMaulMan 0]

Again, why no Episode I? I believe Williams surprised us all by having a not particularly thematic choral work as the defining piece of Episode I music. I was pleasantly surprised when I first heard it, and I still think it's one of the best things to come out of the prequels. And when I first heard it in the film...well damn, a goosebump moment.

[SeekUYoda 0]

I picked Ivan - I have a soft spot for that score - but I think I would have picked TPM if it'd been available. Qui-Gon's funeral still gives me chills.