New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ CineMedia Promotions) Varèse Sarabande Records has released the CALVARY Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The soundtrack features original score by Patrick
Cassidy (KILL THE IRISHMAN, CHE GUEVARA). CALVARY won the Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival 2014 and was nominated for a total of six awards at the Irish Film and Television Awards, including Best Original Score for Patrick Cassidy.
"I felt it was important to set the right mood with the prologue being so dark, the contrast of the mountain and the beach over the opening is visually dramatic and demanded a big musical statement," said Cassidy.
CALVARY stars Brendan Gleeson as Father James, a priest who has a week to put his affairs in order after being told he is marked for murder during a confession. Set against the stunning beauty of Ireland's West Coast comes a darkly comic thriller from writer director John Michael McDonagh (THE GUARD) starring Brendan Gleeson (THE GUARD),
Kelly Reilly (SHERLOCK HOLMES), Domhnall Gleeson (ABOUT TIME), Chris O'Dowd (BRIDESMAIDS) Dylan Moran (BLACK BOOKS) and Aidan Gillen (GAME OF THRONES).
"I wrote three main themes. The Calvary theme is the leitmotif of Father Lavelle. The Ben Bulben theme I feel is evocative of the landscape. Ben Bulben is the table mountain we see forming the backdrop of many scenes in the film. The mountain is famous in Irish mythology and in the poetry of W.B. Yeats. The third theme Veronica is meant to represent faith and spirituality." said
Cassidy of his treatment of CALVARY the score.
Renowned Irish composer Patrick
Cassidy was born in Claremorris, County Mayo.
Cassidy came into prominence in Ireland with the release of the Children of Lir, the first major symphonic work written in the Irish language. His notable film credits are HANNIBAL, LAYER CAKE, VERONICA GUERIN, KING ARTHUR, ASHES AND SNOW, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, THE FRONT LINE, L'AVATOIRE, KILL THE IRISHMAN and most recently the award-winning feature film CALVARY.
Patrick's aria Vide Cor Meum was originally intended as a mini opera for the Ridley Scott film HANNIBAL. This aria has been presented at both the Oscar® and Emmy Awards® and Vide Cor Meum has appeared in multiple top-ten lists and essential collections throughout the world, including Warner Classics' CD of the '40 Most Beautiful Arias'. Patrick currently resides in Los Angeles, where in addition to his concert work and compositions, he scores and collaborates on films and documentary projects.
Cassidy says of his collaboration with CALVARY director John Michael, "John did not want the score to sound ethnic because, although the film is set in Ireland, the story is universal. I did however use quite a lot of voices which I felt would convey tenderness and a sense of spiritual goodness."
Fox Searchlight
Pictures in conjunction with Entertainment One presents CALVARY, in theaters August 1, 2014. The CALVARY Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, from Varèse Sarabande Records, is currently available digitally and on CD.
