The Sweet Hereafter (soundtrack)

The Sweet Hereafter is the soundtrack album to the 1997 Canadian film The Sweet Hereafter.

The Sweet Hereafter
CD cover
Soundtrack album by
Mychael Danna & various artists
ReleasedNovember 18, 1997 (1997-11-18)
Length51:37
LabelVirgin Records

Track listing

The album contains composer Mychael Danna's score and five songs performed by actress Sarah Polley.[1]

# Track By
1 "The Sweet Hereafter" Danna and Polley
2 "Procession" Danna
3 "One More Colour" Jane Siberry
4 "Bus" Danna
5 "Bus Stop" Danna and Graham Gouldman
6 "Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)" The Tragically Hip
7 "It's Important That We Talk" Danna
8 "Dog Track Drizzle" Danna
9 "Thin Ice" Danna
10 "It Was a Wonderful Time in Our Lives" Danna
11 "Pied Piper" Danna
12 "A Huge Wave" Danna
13 "Boy" Danna
14 "Why I Lied" Danna
15 "A Different Town" Danna

Background
Mychael Danna, left, arranged popular Canadian songs which actress Sarah Polley performed, and the two worked together to create original songs.

The film makes references to The Pied Piper of Hamelin by Robert Browning, which influenced composer Mychael Danna's music. He used a Persian ney flute along with old instruments such as recorders, crumhorns and lutes,[2] creating "a pseudo-medieval score."[3] The ney performer is Persian music teacher Hossein Omoumi.[4] The score thus combined Danna's interests in old and exotic music.[5] Egoyan stated medieval-style music was used to make the film feel timeless, evoking Brothers Grimm fairy tales and avoiding the feel of a TV movie.[6]

Polley's character, Nicole, is an aspiring singer before the accident, and is seen on stage performing the Tragically Hip's "Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)" and Jane Siberry's "One More Colour". Danna and Polley cooperated to create Nicole's music, with Polley writing lyrics to Danna's original songs and with Danna arranging the adaptations of "Courage" and "One More Colour." The songs were chosen because of their domestic popularity, reinforcing the local nature of Nicole's music.[7] The Tragically Hip's original version of "Courage" also appears in the film.[8]

Release

The album was released in Canada by Virgin Music Canada, selling 7,000 copies by May 1998. The album was also released by Virgin Records in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe.[1] By October, the album had sold 25,000 copies worldwide, bringing in a profit for Virgin Records given the inexpensive production.[9]

Reception

Gramophone magazine gave the soundtrack a positive review, writing "A dreamy piece for keyboards, as well as other delicate atmospheres, makes the viewer/listener aware of the transforming power of grief." Gramophone also stated "Polley’s plaintive, beautiful soprano voice is a real find."[4]

MTV wrote "the soundtrack, which also includes Polley's cover of Toronto singer-songwriter Jane Siberry's 'One More Colour,' plus an original score by Canadian composer Mychael Danna, provides positive counterbalances to the bleak images on the film."[10]

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References
  1. Larry LeBlanc, "TV, Film Score Field Still in Early Years," Billboard, 2 May 1998, p. 60.
  2. Miguel Mera, Mychael Danna's The Ice Storm: A Film Score Guide, The Scarecrow Press, 2007, p. 37
  3. Mera, p. 36.
  4. KM. "The Sweet Hereafter Original Soundtrack". Gramophone. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  5. Mera, p. 38.
  6. Jason Wood, Talking Movies: Contemporary World Filmmakers in Interview, Wallflower Press, 2006, p. 59.
  7. Mera, p. 41.
  8. Mera, p. 42.
  9. Larry LeBlanc, "Virgin Roster Thrives Under Kulawick," Billboard, 3 October 1998, p. 64.
  10. "The Tragically Hip Find the Courage to Succeed". MTV. 20 May 1997. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
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