Island of Lost Souls (De Fortabte Sjæles Ø) (Jane Antonia Cornish)

Island of Lost Souls (De Fortabte Sjæles Ø)

Music Composed by Jane Antonia Cornish

Powerful. Epic. Fantastic.

There are many other positive adjectives for this utter gem of a score, and most importantly it comes from a relatively unknown composer for a relatively unknown film. Jane Antonia Cornish is an up-and-coming talent in the film music community; she has scored a couple of smaller profile films in her native U.K. and has orchestrated a few Hollywood scores when she moved to Los Angeles (such as Danny Elfman's "Big Fish").

But hardly anyone expected Cornish to have an appropriate project to exhibit her immense talents (she did win a BAFTA for her work on "Five Children" and "It" in her native U.K.)... until last year. Released in Denmark in February 2007, the film was one of the higher-budgeted Denmark films. It opened with enthusiastic reviews and the film opened internationally in spring of that year, although it has yet to emerge on U.S. shores either theatrically or on DVD.

Being that this is a fantasy film (and that the genre has been revitalized by the likes of "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings"), it demanded an epic score, which Cornish delivers... and then some. Barring the five pop songs that open the album, the score section opens with "Island of Lost Souls", a powerful heroic brass theme. The theme is woven and integrated throughout the score, most notably in the trumphant "Richard to the Rescue", the exciting "Final Battle" and "Soul Bridge & End Titles", which provides the best and most exuberant version of the main theme. In these pieces, it's most clear that Cornish took her inspiration from John Williams (particularly the high-register woodwinds and brass sections) and David Arnold, but she while she pays homage to those two composers, she never steals or lifts from their work.

The score isn't without its lighter, more tender moments. "Lulu's Theme" is a lovely, tender lullaby represented by chimes and glockenspiel, but then as the track progresses, it becomes more sinister with ominous celli and foreboding woodwinds. "Death of Linea" is alternately a sad and majestic track, combining choir, strings, woodwinds into an air of sadness filled with hope.

I have only one quibble with the score. At times, Cornish seems to go overboard with the score, it almost seems to want to overwhelm the listener with its high energy and thematic beauty --sometimes it almost feels like it's almost too loud (such as "Escape Through the Forest" and "Richard to the Rescue"). Listeners who dig John Williams's action scores won't mind this aspect, but for those wishing for more subtlety might want to stick with Alexandre Desplat's "The Golden Compass". Still, minor quibbles aside, "The Island of Lost Souls" is a grand, epic fantasy score that deserves your attention.

Track listing:

1. Kashmir - Supergirl (3:56)

2. Kashmir - Slay the Emperor (3:46)

3. The Alpine - Box Office Band (3:09)

4. Pernille Vallentin - Glasshouse (3:54)

5. Island of Lost Souls (1:58)

6. Death of Linea (1:08)

7. Escape Through the Forest (2:59)

8. Lulu's Theme (1:19)

9. Old Enemies (3:46)

10. Shadows (2:45)

11. Richard to the Rescue (2:40)

12. The Cave (2:41)

13. Monk's Island (1:09)

14. Final Battle (9:36)

15. Soul Bridge & End Titles (8:02)

Total Time: 53:03

Tracks 5-15 composed by Jane Antonia Cornish. Musical score performed by the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Danish National Choir. Orchestrations by Abraham Libbos. Conducted by Frans Rasmussen. Album produced by Jane Antonia Cornish.