With Hugh Grant in foppish Englishman mode, this time as a priest sent Down-Under who ends up in the company of Elle Macpherson, it is not surprising to find that there the whole enterprise could be seen as a might sordid. As such, Rachel Portman's score is enticingly sensual as well as somewhat mysterious. Things get off to a bizarre start with the March Past of the Kitchen Utensils which is one of those faintly comedic toy marches that classical composers write in an effort to prove they have a sense of fun. Yes, it is quite amusing, but the relevance to the film is not clear at all, although it doesn't detract from the album or Portman's own music in any way.
There are two main musical ideas mixed into Portman's score, one of which is a very typically Portman theme of chirruping strings and woodwinds which play off each other quite splendidly. This is not quite as comedic as Portman is prone to be on occasion, but the intention does not seem entirely serious. Second there is the more sensual and alluring music which prominently features a two note ascending string motif onto which other fragments are grafted for a suitably mysterious sound. It seems that I can hear nothing these days without being reminded of the great Bernard Herrmann, but the effect is certainly one that Herrmann would have employed. A simply idea that is repeated, altered and adapted to fit the dramatic requirements. Portman sticks closely to these ideas for much of the running time which creates a strong atmosphere, but ont at the expense of melody. Beckoning breaks away slightly with some woodwind ideas that brighten the rather cooler mood, but the two major ideas soon return in The Sprightly Don. Some chipper hornpipe melodies such as Sam Sawnoff's Pipe and Horn which come across as a kind of sea shanty (although none contain vocals) provide some unobtrusive variations in tone, but are only brief.
As well as the Vaughn Williams, there are two other non-Portman cues, the first being Calliope House. This is a Oirish fiddle effort - think, if you dare, of the Steerage music from Titanic and you have some idea of what it's all about. Nice if you like that sort of thing, but it breaks up the atmosphere of the score rather badly. Grey Funnel Line is a female, close part harmony folksy Irish song that is similarly out of place and not really to be my liking. Despite the modest enough running time, there doesn't seem to be a huge quantity of variety in the score with the two major ideas prevailing in some form or other in almost most of the tracks. I am loathed to say that the score is poor in any way since these ideas work very well to create the kind of music one might imagine for a film based on this premise. However, these ideas seem to just repeat without any great change and aside from the hornpipes, the non-Portman cues change the mood, but far too obtrusively. Worth hearing for the main material, but given the repetition, a score that is not likely to invite so many repeated listens.
Rating ~ 
Total Time ~ 40:56