My Life So Far

First Performance: TV showing BBC 2 11.45pm, 18 February 2006.

Film directed by Hugh Hudson, starring Colin Firth, Rosemary Harris, Irene Jacob and Malcom MacDowell, Music producer Bob Last (Holdings Ecosse), dubbing Shepperton, premiere finally on May 2nd 2000 ABC Shaftesbury Avenue

 Composer’s note: David Puttnam called me in November 1998 to ask me to view the film. It had been completed some while previously but not released. After viewing it I gave my opinion that the score did not work. It had a score by Colin Matthews and used a great deal of Beethoven which he had had specially recorded by Simon Rattle and The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (and indeed chorus). The thinking behind this was that the pater familias character played by Colin Firth worshipped Beethoven and tried to indoctrinate his young son with it for the good of his moral upbringing. However, the son had a slightly louche uncle (played by Malcolm Macdowell) who was simultaneously introducing him to thirties jazz and other thoughts. In one early montage scene of compulsory swimming for health in the icy loch, Beethoven’s Fifth gave an amusing gloss on the father’s authoritarian obsessions, but for the rest of the footage it worked directly against the charm and humour with which director Hugh Hudson had invested the film. I talked at some length with David, Hugh and Harvey and was finally given carte blanche to rescore.