Harry Gregson-Williams talks Narnia Music

Soundtrack.net has an interview with LWW Composer Harry Gregson-Williams. Here are some extracts, as well as the comments about LWW. You can read the full interview at Soundtrack.net.

Sinbad was big and orchestral. Do you find a particular type of score to be more gratifying?

Not really – but around about that time, leading up to Sinbad, I hadn’t done many projects that were particularly orchestral, so it was fun to get in front of the orchestra and not worry about electronics in the slightest bit. From the outset, Jeffrey Katzenberg had said that he wanted a very swashbuckling orchestral fun score, and that’s what they got! It brought with it a few anxieties, like “isn’t this going to sound like it was recorded 40 years ago – and if it does, does it matter?”

You’re also doing The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe…

Yes – Andrew Adamson is shooting in New Zealand right now and it will be a Christmas 2005 release, I think. I’m doing a bit of music in advance of the main score, as there are a couple of moments where one of the characters plays a flute or pipe, and they need music to shoot to.

So you’ve read the books?

Yes, I loved the books as a child, so this is a very big deal for me. Andrew is a really incredible guy – especially with music. He’s very much single handedly behind the musical sound of Shrek and Shrek 2. I think they’re planning on doing all of the books into films, depending on how the first one goes.

What else do you have coming up?

Madagascar, next summer’s Dreamworks animated film. It’s CG animation, voiced by Chris Rock and Ben Stiller. It should be quite funny. The basic idea is that some animals break out of the zoo in New York City and head towards Madagascar – so I need to do my research. I have a feeling that might involve a trip…..!