Film music is maybe the closest thing we have had over the past century to popular classical music. It's usually scoffed at by classical purists, and knowing very little about that genre, I'm not going to question them. But I do know that movie music is not taken as seriously as it should be. But the the masters of the form, like Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Bernard Herrmann, Ennio Morricone and Elmer Bernstein were/are real maestros. And one of their ranks died yesterday.
John Barry, the composer of some of cinema's most memorable scores, from James Bond to Born Free and Dances With Wolves, has died aged 77.
In a short statement, his family said Barry died on Sunday in New York. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Laurie, his four children and five grandchildren.
Barry was at the top of his profession for nearly 50 years, winning five Oscars and providing the music for more than 100 movies – including Out of Africa, which he once named as his favourite – and TV shows such as The Persuaders! and Juke Box Jury.
Barry was known for his lush orchestrations, and for writing music for most of the early Bond films, though he is not creditedwith writing the iconic "James Bond Theme." He co-wrote most of the Bond theme songs, working with everyone from Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones to Duran Duran and a-Ha.
So, on this, at the sad news of his passing, let's pause and listen to some great movie music, shall we?
Goldfinger:
Louis Armstrong sings.
Midnight Cowboy (conducted here by John Williams):
The Tom Selleck (*cough cough*) classic High Road to China:
The underrated (by Goodfellas fans) Kevin Costner film Dances With Wolves:
Somewhere in Time:
And last, but certainly not least, the only Barry-penned song that topped the Billboard charts. And no, it wasn't "Born Free":