As well as the more touching
sentiment, there are some childlike passages that feature a
bouncing woodwind synth figure that is introduced in A Childhood
Wish. This raises the mood and the pace of the score, most
notably in cues such as the The Old Neighbourhood and Child's
Play, the latter of which has increased syncopation and gives it
even more bouyancy than before. The Love Theme, as mentioned is
simply a variation on the main theme, but is given some mileage
from being performed on piano and then re-interpolated with the
main theme. The biggest divergance from the central ideas is the
second half of Child's Play which introduces some breezy and
jazzy piano riffs which are a nice touch and balance out the
gentlity of the rest. The Roller Coaster has a touch of
Vaughn-Williams about it, but the occasional hint of Barry
harmony firmly grounds in back into context. The final moment
interprets a bright horn rendition of the love theme with the
childlike theme to great effect. This is then followed by the
main theme to bring things to a satisfying conclusion. Not
perhaps a forgotton classic, but certainly a score that is
unfamiliar to fans who know of Barry's work from Bond to the more
recent, broader works. It does have a tendancy toward being a
fraction repetitive at times, but there are enough variations on
the different ideas to warrant repeated listenings. Rating ~ Total Time ~ 35:43There are few composers who can
successfully carry this kind of emotional film well, but if
anyone can then John Barry is the man. It is perhaps more of an
intimate tail than his usual fayre and lacks the epic element
that suited him so well in scores such as Out of Africa
and Dances with Wolves. The main theme is a
typically outstanding Barry theme that is even more lilting and
whimsical than usual. It is of course used in many guises
throughout the remainder, and one of these variations strips it
of the lilting element to turn it into the serene love theme. One
performance of which features the bass line prominently and has a
striking resemblance to a piece of Bach rather famously used in
some cigar adverts.
