Sony Classical release highlights of Charlie Mole's score from all four seasons of Mr Selfridge. The show centres on the real-life story of dashing and visionary American entrepreneur and successful Chicago retailer, Harry Gordon Selfridge and his exclusive London department store, Selfridge & Co. and is based on the book, Shopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge, by Lindy Woodhead...

Charlie Mole's score for Mr Selfridge really does pack a lot of themes into the running time. The album contains 34 tracks (1 hr, 37 sec) and incorporates some of the show's musical highlights, including the main theme, and even the musical number 'New Girl'.

In a lot of ways the album is similar in style to Mole's impressive score for Dad's Army, in that it's a period piece that uses music to conjure up a nostalgic image of a time gone by. With four seasons worth of material to wade through, whoever compiled the tracks has done not only an impressive job of collecting some of the show's most interesting themes, but has also spread the net wide to ensure that the themes are as diverse as possible.

There are so many beautiful themes here that there are almost too many to single out. However, personal highlights include 'Grandma's Advice'; 'The Rose'; 'My Lungs'; and 'Lord Loxley'. The album ends on arguably this score's most beautiful piece of music 'Henri Remembers Verdun'.

An impressive and wonderfully chosen collection of tracks.

10

Darren Rea