British composer Stephen Warbeck, who won an Academy Award for his Shakespeare in Love score in 1999, has composed an exquisite orchestral score for Princess Ka’iulani, Marc Forby’s historical drama telling the true story of Princess Ka’iulani’s attempts to maintain the independence of Hawaii against the threat of American colonization at the end of the 19th century...

Stephen Warbeck's score for Princess Ka’iulani is an incredibly beautiful collection and reminded me very much of the work of John Barry at the height of his career. That's not to say that Warbeck is referencing Barry's work, more that this reminded me of the style of music that Barry was famed for.

The album lasts for a second under 49 mins and consists of 22 tracks which range from beautiful set themes to pieces that sound like they belong in a classical music collection - 'The Reception' being the most obvious example. There's also beautiful piano solos ('Ka'iulani' for example).

There isn't a dull moment, or wasted second. This is a truly beautiful album.

9

Darren Rea