News
... and a New Film Soundtrack
Have you been to see the new Harry Potter film yet? With magic, adventure and 'mild peril' (it is, after all, rated 12A), it has all the familiar ingredients to impress young and old alike.
But most impressive of all – from an Oxford perspective – is the music, which thrills and excites. Composed by BAFTA-winner Nicholas Hooper (who also composed the music for the previous Harry Potter installment), it features the voices of the Choir of the Queen's College, directed by Dr Owen Rees.
Nick Hooper approached the Queen's Choir late in 2007 regarding the possibility of recording music for the film. They quickly developed a productive relationship. After trying out various ideas in Oxford, the Choir went up to the Abbey Road Studios in London, spending a morning in the famous Studio One, the world’s largest purpose-built recording studio. The piece the Choir recorded is a ‘simple but highly evocative’ song, In noctem.
The song can be heard at various points in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, during the closing credits, and on the soundtrack CD of the film. The Choir's performance, one is tempted to say, is magical. You can view a trailer and hear some of the music at the official film website.