It’s commonplace these days for tribute concerts to celebrate famous movie scores and soundtracks. But this wasn’t always the case. Film music was originally used to cover the excessive noise of the film projectors in movie theatres. It wasn’t until the first half of the 20th century that filmmakers realised their importance in the movie-watching experience. Luckily for us viewers, soundtracks are now considered an art form and their composers are finally receiving their flowers.
The Candlelight series pays tribute to all music genres, including film scores and soundtracks. Discover upcoming concerts here.
Mood and atmosphere
Music in film can set the tone of a scene and give a sense of what is gong on and how the characters feel. Oftentimes when you hear preppy and fast-paced music, audiences realise that the overall mood is light and jolly. If however, the scores feature a minor tonality and a slower tempo, this might mean that something rather sad or dark has happened, in return, making the audience feel sorrowful, as well.
Sense of time and place
Another important function of film music is to give clues as to the whereabouts of the film or a particular scene. The characters don’t need any dialogue to let audiences know where and when the movie takes place. For instance, in many period films, you often hear classical music to hint at the historic era. You’ll hear Baroque music play when the film is set in the 17th or early 18th century.
A Fun Film Score Fact
The most successful soundtrack in movie and music history is The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album. It was released in 1992 along with the film and it features the impressive vocals of Whitney Houston, who also starred in the film.
In short, music is a crucial component of the narrative and the film-making process. And if you too have great appreciation for film scores and soundtracks, make sure to check out the enchanting Candlelight concerts. These performances pay homage to iconic film melodies in a captivating setting, taking you back to memorable on-screen moments as you’re surrounded by thousands of twinkling candles.