James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American composer, conductor, and orchestrator of film scores. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements, and for his frequent use of motifs associated with Celtic music.
Perhaps this is one of Horner's lesser-known scores from the late 90's, but we love it nonetheless. Featuring a gorgeous bagpipe solo with sweeping melodic strings, there is no question that this is Horner doing what he does best - creating an emotional landscape of melody.
The most striking thi...
"Casper" is one of those '90s gems that you can't quite forget. Directed by Brad Siberling (who also directed 'Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'), 'Casper' was his directorial debut and featured the great James Horner at the helm to compose the score. Horner's composition is touchi...
In another Oscar-nominated score, James Horner's 'Apollo 13' is nothing short of genius. This cue is one of our favorites, featuring a sweeping and emotional musical journey as the three astronauts hurl back to Earth in the Apollo spacecraft. Similar to 'Braveheart', Horner's ability to capture s...
Composed and conducted by James Horner and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, this was Horner's second of three collaborations with Gibson as director. The score itself is one of our favorites, and has gone on to be one of the most commercially successful soundtracks of all time. It was ...
This is our second Score Cue Snapshot featuring a film directed by Phillip Noyce (the first being "Clear and Present Danger")! Circling around the political turbulence of the IRA, Horner pools in some very unique Irish overtones throughout the score, including the all-too-famous "Theme from Harry...
This is the second Score Cue Snapshot featuring a film directed by Edward Zwick (the first being "Glory"). Nominated for three Academy Awards and four Golden Globes (including Best Original Score), the film is an epic marvel, and with that comes the equally masterful score by James Horner. The cu...
The 1991 American legal drama "Class Action" directed by Michael Apted stars many of our favorite actors (the great Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and a very young Lawrence Fishburne), but it also features a score by the late James Horner. This score isn't as well known as some of the...
Enjoy this score cue from Phillip Noyce's 1994 political action-thriller, Clear and Present Danger. We absolutely love Horner's work on the Jack Ryan series, and it is truly great that an expanded two-disc collector's edition was released in 2013 by Intrada (which is now very difficult to find!)....
In our second episode, CineConcerts President/Producer Justin Freer discusses military music and its influence in film. He digs into JFK and Clear & Present Danger.
Where to watch:
JFK- https://letterboxd.com/film/jfk/
Clear & Present Danger- https://letterboxd.com/film/clear-and-present-danger/
There is little doubt that James Horner's music to the 1989 film 'Glory' is one of the best scores he ever composed. Featuring the Boys Choir of Harlem, Glory tells the tragic story of the first black regiment (the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment) in America during the Civil War. The soundtr...
Enjoy one of our favorite cues to the late James Horner's fantastic score to the 1986 animation classic, 'An American Tail'. 'Somewhere Out There', which Horner co-wrote, is one of his most memorable compositions to-date, and he utilized the full London Symphony Orchestra and added such beautiful...
To this day, 'Sneakers' is one of our favorite films. Composed by James Horner featuring the great Branford Marsalis, this cue begins with the unique Marsalis solo, then fuses with the track 'Really' by Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper, which then goes back into the 'Main Title' theme by Horner. It's ...
There is no question that Horner's score for James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' helped create the immersive world of Pandora and the Na'vi. Enjoy one of our favorite cues and scenes as Jake Sully flies a Banshee for the first time. We love the mix of drums and effects leading into the soaring mel...
Justin Freer talks about James Horner’s epic Academy Award® winning score to James Cameron’s 1997 film, Titanic. The film also won an additional ten Oscars® including Best Picture, and is one of the highest grossing films of all time. Justin discusses the first time he met Horner at a recording s...
We are back with the third episode of Film Music Fridays, narrated by CineConcerts President, Producer & Conductor Justin Freer! In this week’s Episode, Justin talks about one of the most iconic films and scores ever made - Ron Howard’s Willow (1988), with music composed by the late James Horner....
