From the Aeolus 13 Umbra YouTube Channel.
Arthur of the Britons is a British
historical drama produced by Harlech Television (HTV) (now ITV Wales and West)
from 1972 to 1973. The show also saw syndication in the United States on PBS
stations in the mid-70s. The 24-episode series is noted for putting the
Arthurian legend in context of the times in which the legend first arises — the
Early Dark Ages as opposed to the High Middle Ages of the movie musical Camelot (1967). The 1975 film compilation of several key episodes, King Arthur: The
Young Warlord, was reviewed on Aeolus 13 Umbra (see link for
more information, including the full-length film). Arthur of the Britons:
Original Soundtrack Recording, was released in 2013 by ITV Global Media. The
full album is provided above from the Aeolus 13 Umbra YouTube channel and links
to individual tracks are available below at the end of this article. A review of the series with all 12 episodes is available
at Arthur of the Britons: The
Complete Series.Soundtracks to
short-run TV series — particularly those nearly five decades old — are often
overlooked, but this one deserves a closer listen. Elmer Bernstein, a master of
the genre who composed the title theme for Arthur
of the Britons, is widely known for his memorable work on such films as The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), The Ten Commandments (1956), The Magnificent Seven (1960), True Grit (1969), and The Shootist (1976), among many others.
Nevertheless, Bernstein’s contribution to the series is just the title track.
The bulk of the music produced for the series was composed by Paul Lewis, who worked
on numerous British TV shows including Monty
Python's Flying Circus and The Benny
Hill Show, as well as the film Dr.
Phibes Rises Again (1972).
Lewis was tasked
with three challenges. First, he needed to establish a library of musical cues
and short pieces that could be used as background throughout the series:
battles, chases, early morning sunrises, stormy nights, happy village life, sacking
villages, etc. Secondly, whatever he composed had to be synchronous, or at
least not widely varied from the general tone established in Bernstein’s
title theme. Finally, he had
only twenty-five days to complete the project.
 |
| Marketing advertisement. |
Bernstein’s
theme for Arthur of the
Britons is a dramatic piece that evokes action and movement, and
in several respects it reminds one of Richard Roger’s theme for Victory at Sea
(see links). Both pieces have soaring horns and swelling string arrangements
that evoke the military context of each series (the movement of the ocean for Victory at Sea, and the rush of
galloping horses for Bernstein’s Arthur
of the Britons). Additionally, like Arthur
of the Britons, while famed Broadway composer Rogers was tapped for the
theme for Victory at Sea, it was Robert
Russell Bennett who was responsible for all the incidental music, much like
Bernstein was hired for the title theme to Arthur
of the Britons while Lewis composed the incidental work. In each series,
the theme is an immediately recognizable and irreplaceable facet of the show.
Even if the production is sometimes less than epic (the armies are quite small
and few horses are seen on screen at any one time), Bernstein’s theme raises it
to another level.
 |
Top, Bernstein Bottom, Lewis |
Even on the modest budget available for the
series (GBP500,000 in 1972, equal to approximately GBP6,480,746.79, or
US$8,343,223, in 2019 for all 24 episodes), HTV recognized they could spend a
bit on hiring Bernstein for just the theme, and then hire a talented, but more affordable,
composer like Lewis to do the journeyman’s work on the incidental music. It is
much the same tactic as used in Victory
at Sea.
In the liner
notes to the album, Paul Lewis provides us with insight to both the soundtrack
and the composing process. He had mixed feelings over Bernstein’s title theme,
in his own words, preferring “to compose my own title theme,” and noted that it
was reminiscent of Bernstein’s work for American Westerns rather than a piece
suited for “Dark Age Britain.” Nevertheless, Lewis acknowledged the theme as
“rousing and instantly memorable,” though he made some changes, such as
replacing the electric bass suggested by Bernstein with three trombones and a
kettledrum, making the piece sound more contextual within the historical
setting. Altogether, Lewis turns in a complement to Bernstein’s theme that
helps draw the various dramatic elements of the series together into a more
uniform production.
Arthur of the Britons: Original Soundtrack
Recording accomplishes everything a soundtrack for a historical drama
should. It evokes the time period with familiar leitmotifs and orchestrations
evocative of the era. Rather than being unobtrusive background music, the
soundtrack in this case becomes a proactive part of the production. Lewis
intertwines Bernstein’s theme in various compositions that the producers use to
signify dramatic elements pertinent to the story. Not only for fans of the
show, but those seriously interested in film scoring would do well to study and
appreciate this rare album.
Arthur of the Britons: Original
Soundtrack Recording
Incidental Music and Orchestration by Paul Lewis.
Tracks 1 – 33 composed by
Paul Lewis. Track 34 composed by Elmer Bernstein.
|
|
Variations on Bernstein’s Title
Theme
|
Total Time: 78:38
● ● ●