The first thing that caught my eye
with this CD was the little type at the bottom of the jewel case cover that
read "Mark McKenzie the Northwest Sinfonia." This was the same
orchestra that had performed Michael Giacchino's great scores to The
Lost World and Medal of Honor
Playstation titles. I was already impressed with the orchestra from those
two projects, but I wondered how a more romantically-styled score would come
across. After experiencing the wonderful qualities of this nice change of
style from the Northwest Sinfonia, it has cemented a spot in my list of
favorite orchestras.
Of course, I don't want to even pretend to
neglect the talents of Mark McKenzie. Though he has only composed for a
small number of rather forgettable films, he has served as an orchestrator
for such composers as Danny Elfman, Alan Silvestri, and Dennis McCarthy.
While this is a Hallmark Hall of Fame production, McKenzie takes the high
road and delivers a score that belies the stigma of "TV score."
The CD starts off with a wonderful suite that
overviews all of the major points of the score. It's just under
four-and-a-half minutes, but it does the job nicely and is akin in
construction to the first track from Angela's
Ashes. While the music is romantic in nature and occasionally just
floats along pastoral sections, McKenzie at least keeps utilizing the main
them throughout which helps bring cohesion to the music. There is not much
more thematic work than that, but what is here works quite well. The
blending of traditional orchestral passages and Native American styles is
also quite good with the wood flute being used to great effect.
With the CD having a runtime of just a tad over
forty-three minutes, this is a score that is over before you know it. The
beautiful romantic music never falls into just generic underscore. While I
mostly find myself bored with this genre, The Lost Child is a
refreshing change from the other less-than-stellar television scores that I
have listened to. ****
