The Young Messiah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2016 film of the same name directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh. The film's original score is composed by John Debney and released through Lakeshore Records on March 11, 2016.
| The Young Messiah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Film score by | ||||
| Released | March 11, 2016 | |||
| Recorded | 2015–2016 | |||
| Studio | AIR Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Film score | |||
| Length | 69:42 | |||
| Label | Lakeshore | |||
| Producer | John Debney | |||
| John Debney chronology | ||||
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Development
editOn January 17, 2013, John Debney was hired to score music for The Young Messiah.[1] He previously associated with Nowrasteh on The Stoning of Soraya M. (2009). Due to his familiarity with the source material—Anne Rice's Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, on which the film is based—and Nowrasteh's elaboration of the script had him interested as it had scope and potential for music. One of the scenes where Jesus' mother Mary is sitting with "him" under a tree and trying to figure out who "he" is, has been described as "heart-touching" and "beautifully written", according to Debney, which confirmed his involvement.[2]
For the film score, Debney felt that he wanted to revisit the sounds he curated to The Passion of the Christ to capture the ethnicity and authenticity of that film, analyzing the specific instrumentation and soundscape. In contrast to The Passion, he wanted the score to be emotionally uplifting, where it was not to be "too ponderous and heavy" but should be emotionally connected with the audience.[2] The musical score consisted of Middle Eastern influences with percussions and orchestral elements. Due to the film's short budget, much of the score had been recorded at the AIR Studios in London, with sessions organized with his close collaborators.[2]
Critical reception
editPete Simons of Synchrotones wrote "The gently swaying rhythms, the warm strings and the occasional solos for duduk or cello all contribute to an pleasant and easy-going listening experience."[3] Hannah Goodwyn of Christian Broadcasting Network wrote "Oscar-nominated composer John Debney's score is transporting."[4] Rose Pacatte of National Catholic Reporter wrote "The score beautifully enhances the film."[5] Linda Cook of Quad-City Times wrote "John Debney's lush score creates an atmosphere of reverence."[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Young Messiah Theme" (feat. Bethany Woods) | 2:36 |
| 2. | "Alexandria Egypt" | 5:23 |
| 3. | "Salome Reminds Jesus" | 1:47 |
| 4. | "Jesus Heals Eleazer" | 2:52 |
| 5. | "Herod Is Dead" | 2:18 |
| 6. | "Mary and Joseph / Don't You See Him?" | 2:20 |
| 7. | "The Carved Camel" | 1:09 |
| 8. | "Jesus Encounters Romans" | 2:08 |
| 9. | "Severus Lets Jesus' Family Go" | 1:56 |
| 10. | "Herod Reprimands Severus" | 2:39 |
| 11. | "Jesus Heals Cleopus" | 3:07 |
| 12. | "Rape Victim" | 1:15 |
| 13. | "Sister, Come to Nazareth" | 2:08 |
| 14. | "Not Just a Child / Crucifixes" | 4:13 |
| 15. | "Reveal of Nazareth" | 1:33 |
| 16. | "The Messiah Will Save Us!" | 1:16 |
| 17. | "A Son Named Jesus" | 4:27 |
| 18. | "Jerusalem for Passover" | 2:35 |
| 19. | "Travel to Jerusalem" | 1:51 |
| 20. | "Mary Presents Baby Jesus" | 1:03 |
| 21. | "Jesus Leaves Alone" | 2:26 |
| 22. | "He Wants Answers" | 2:25 |
| 23. | "He's in the Temple" | 1:25 |
| 24. | "Herod's Rage" | 0:56 |
| 25. | "The Blind Rabbi" | 6:17 |
| 26. | "Mary Reveals the Truth to Jesus / Jesus Talks to God" | 7:37 |
| Total length: | 69:42 | |
Personnel
editCredits adapted from liner notes:[7]
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References
edit- ^ "John Debney to Score 'Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt'". Film Music Reporter. January 17, 2013. Archived from the original on May 1, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Composer John Debney on Scoring The Young Messiah". Christian Broadcasting Network. October 12, 2022. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ Simons, Pete (April 2, 2016). "The Young Messiah (John Debney)". Synchrotones. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ Goodwyn, Hannah (October 12, 2022). "The Young Messiah: Movie Review". Christian Broadcasting Network. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ Pacatte, Rose (April 28, 2016). "'The Young Messiah' offers themes for discussion about Jesus' early life". National Catholic Reporter. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ "'The Young Messiah' beautifully fills in the blanks". Quad-City Times. March 14, 2016. Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ John Debney (2016). The Young Messiah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Media notes). Lakeshore Records.