Silva Screen Records release the soundtrack for His Dark Materials: Series 3 - Episodes 1 & 2, composed by Lorne Balfe. This is the first installment of the soundtrack highlights with three further albums to follow...

Lorne Balfe returns once again to compose the music for the third series of His Dark Materials. This time around there are four releases (five if you include The Musical Anthology of His Dark Materials: Series Three), each one featuring music from two episodes of the eight-part series.

This, the first volume, features music from episodes 1 & 2 and contains 18 tracks (45 min, 47 sec). There are lots of interesting new themes, as well as old favourites that have been rejigged to make them sound fresh. If there's one thing fans of the show can be certain of by now, it's that Balfe delivers music with a punch. He's got the art of epic theme writing down perfectly, but is equally adept at composing melancholic segments that can lift your soul.

With this release personal highlights include the hauntingly beautiful, yet eerie 'Danger by the Shore', the epic action suspense 'The Rescue', and the beautiful closing theme 'Safe in Your Arms'.

This is an incredible series with a wonderfully emotive score that really can't be faulted.

9

Darren Rea