City of Lost

Angelo Badalamenti's score for The City of Lost Children (La Cité des Enfants Perdus) finds him utilising his orchestration skills to their full extent. His use of the string section in particular is extremely accomplished, with his lyrical writing helping to emphasise the often-melancholic tone of the film. Highlights of the soundtrack include the song "Who Will Take My Dreams Away?" (written with Marianne Faithful), and Badalamenti's sinister organ grinder music composed for the scenes featuring the trained fleas. Overall a very evocative and moving score, and a must for any serious fan of Badalamenti's film music.

William Alwyn valued his Lyra Angelica concerto for harp above all his other music, and it is indeed very beautiful. It was premiered at the first night of the 1954 Proms and, not surprisingly, made an immediate impression. The work is inspired by stanzas written in the seventeenth century by the English metaphysical poet, Giles Fletcher, and Alwyn prefaces each of the movements with a line from his poem, ''Christ's Victorie and Triumph''. The music opens mistily and then a wondrous tune appears, like a carol, and it almost fits the words of the first quotation, ''I looke for angels' songs, and hear Him crie''.