Perhaps the most surprising element of Danna's score is that it incorporates a few well known hymn tunes, O Come, O Come Emanuel (given its Latin title in the opening track), Carol of the Bells in Is There a Place For Us? (sounding a bit like an outtake from Home Alone) and, perhaps a little improbably, Silent Night in the penultimate cue. It is well documented that the producers of Ben-Hur wanted Rozsa to incorporate hymn tunes into various parts of the score, notably for the Nativity, but the composer dissuaded them. However, the melodies here are reasonably effective and form part of a wider range of sacred music from throughout the centuries incorporated into the score, notably the plainsong of Corde Natus Ex Parentis.
For the first half, the album comes across as a little rambling, incorporating ethnic elements, while jumping to and from the carols and plainsong, plus the occasional subdued orchestral passage. However, from the dramatic Census and The Journey, the musical focus becomes clearer with the orchestra and chorus starting to take on a more up front role. Indeed, it's almost surprising that it gives way to flourishes of heavenly chorus worthy of Rozsa or Alfred Newman after striving for some authenticity earlier on. However, since the biblical epics of old gave rise to some great scores, it's rather churlish to complain that Danna echoes them and, let's be honest, there's only so much awe and wonder you can conjure up with a Gamba, Oud or Vielle (whatever they are). Sometimes only a big choir will do.
One could quibble that the carol melodies rather take one out of the experience a little; their sudden appearance transports the listener from ancient Israel to the parish church on Christmas Eve. Then again, how many you recognise will depend on the number of carol services you've attended which in my case is dozens. However, they are still good tunes and Danna's orchestral arrangements are rather more sensitive than the usually bombastic arrangements carols are given. That minor quibble aside, there is plenty of admire here; a fine score with plenty of impressive moments.
Rating ~ Total Time ~ 68:06
Attempting to do what The Passion of the Christ did for the Easter story, The Nativity Story is doing for, well, the Nativity. Unfortunately, whereas the Passion is an emotive and dramatic story of pain, suffering and resurrection, Christ's birth is inevitably a little more twee; as one reviewer noted, it's like watching a big budget school Nativity play. You certainly can't imagine the average school staging the crucifixion. Mychael Danna doesn't seem an obvious choice for such a project, yet neither did John Debney on The Passion nor, for that matter did Mychael's brother Jeff seem obvious for The Gospel of John, but both came up trumps with scores that incorporated symphonic weight with authentic sounding ethnic elements.
