Glory: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 1990 film of the same name directed by Edward Zwick and featured musical score composed and orchestrated by James Horner in association with the Boys Choir of Harlem. The score met with critical acclaim, being assessed as one among Horner's best works, it received a nomination for Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and won Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television in 1991.

Glory: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Film score by
ReleasedJanuary 11, 1990 (1990-01-11)
GenreFilm score
Length43:21
LabelVirgin
Producer
James Horner chronology
Dad
(1989)
Glory: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(1990)
I Love You to Death
(1990)
Glory: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Expanded Edition)
Film score by
ReleasedSeptember 14, 2021 (2021-09-14)
GenreFilm score
Length2:02:56
LabelLa-La Land Records
Producer

The original score was first issued by Virgin Records on January 11, 1990.[1] The initial release only consisted twelve tracks—seven in "Side A" and five in "Side B"—omitting the full score in its entirety, which resulted in several bootleg recordings of the full score. On September 14, 2021, La-La Land Records released the "expanded edition" of the soundtrack which contained the full score, with the tracks featured in the initial release and alternative cues of the score.[2]

Background

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Horner recalled in the speech to University of California, Los Angeles in 1992 saying that Zwick wanted a civil war score where he would write most of the themes on the piano. He wrote a "beautiful"theme which Zwick felt that it was in a wrong film, set for Summer of '42 (1971) but Horner did not see it as a love theme and instead as a yearning theme. Horner used brass themes to capture the war sequences, and the Los Angeles choral group Boys Choir of Harlem performed the score for most of the tracks.[3]

Reception

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The score has been hailed by critics as one of Horner's best.[4][5] Music critic Jonathan Broxton reviewed "Glory is a cornerstone James Horner score, is an absolutely essential part of every discerning fan’s collection".[6] James Southall of Movie Wave wrote that Horner combines "the big emotions with a huge dramatic sweep" giving a 5-star rating to the album.[7] Filmtracks.com also gave a five-star rating to the album, commenting "No matter which album you ultimately enjoy more, Glory will always stand among Horner's top career works, and it prevails to this day as one of the most effectively engaging and heartbreaking scores of its era."[8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the score as "tense, melodramatic and uplifting" as the film.[9] Giving a 5-star rating, Sputnikmusic complimented it as an "emotionally charged score".[10]

Track listing

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Original release

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All music is composed by James Horner

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."A Call to Arms"3:08
2."After Antietam"2:40
3."Lonely Christmas"1:55
4."Forming the Regiment"5:26
5."The Whipping"2:09
6."Burning the Town of Darien"2:31
7."Brave Words, Braver Deeds"3:10
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."The Year of Jubilee"2:26
2."Preparations for Battle"7:35
3."Charging Fort Wagner"2:53
4."An Epitaph to War"2:34
5."Closing Credits"6:52

Expanded edition

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All music is composed by James Horner, except where noted

Disc 1: Score Presentation / Source Music
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."A Call to Arms" 3:18
2."After Antietam" (Film Version) 2:29
3."Flashback" 0:45
4."Forming the Regiment" (Film Version) 3:44
5."Jefferson & Liberty" (Full Version) 2:03
6."The Decision / Second Flashback" 2:34
7."Lonely Christmas" 1:56
8."The Whipping" 2:12
9."New Shoes" 1:16
10."Worth a Life" 1:28
11."The Year of Jubilee" (Film Version) 2:29
12."Burning the Town of Darien" 2:34
13."Our Time" 1:54
14."The Battle of Grimball's Landing" 3:19
15."Promise Me / What Do You Want of Us?" 1:42
16."Brave Words and Deeds" 3:11
17."Preparations for Battle" (Film Version) 7:42
18."Charging Fort Wagner" 2:54
19."An Epitaph to War" (Full Version) 2:35
20."Closing Credits" (Film Mix) 6:58
21."Drei Klavierstücke, DV.946"Franz Schubert2:31
22."Jefferson & Liberty" 1:00
23."Old 1812" 1:14
24."Jefferson & Liberty" (Film Mix) 1:25
25."Hoist the Flag" 2:!9
26."The Sicilian Circle" 1:54
27."The Bonnie Blue Flag" 1:17
Disc 2: Original Soundtrack Album / Additional Music
No.TitleLength
1."A Call to Arms"3:10
2."After Antietam"2:40
3."Lonely Christmas"1:55
4."Forming the Regiment"5:27
5."The Whipping"2:09
6."Burning the Town of Darien"2:31
7."Brave Words, Braver Deeds"3:10
8."The Year of Jubilee"2:26
9."Preparations for Battle"7:35
10."Charging Fort Wagner"2:53
11."An Epitaph to War"2:35
12."Closing Credits"6:58
13."A Call to Arms" (With Wild Opening)3:31
14."Flashback" (Alternate No. 1)0:44
15."Worth a Life" (Alternate No. 1)1:25
16."Flashback" (Alternate No. 2)0:43
17."Worth a Life" (Alternate No. 2)1:24
18."Charging Fort Wagner" (Alternate)2:55

Accolades

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Despite being acclaimed by critics, the original score for Glory did not receive a nomination at the 62nd Academy Awards,[11][12] A complete list of awards the film won or was nominated for are listed below. although Horner's score for Field of Dreams did receive a nomination.[13] The album was nominated by American Film Institute for AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores.

Award Category Nominee Result
47th Golden Globe Awards[14] Best Original Score James Horner Nominated
33rd Grammy Awards[15] Best Instrumental Composition Written
for a Motion Picture or for Television
Won

References

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  1. ^ "Glory [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". Barnes & Noble. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  2. ^ "GLORY: LIMITED EDITION (2-CD SET)". La-La Land Records. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  3. ^ Russell, Maureen (June 20, 2017). "Highlights from the Ethnomusicology Archive: Musical Aesthetics in Los Angeles". Ethnomusicology Review. University of California, Los Angeles (published 1992–2016). Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  4. ^ Lowder, J. Bryan (June 23, 2015). "James Horner Was Our Greatest Middlebrow Composer". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  5. ^ "Perfect Scores: James Horner's Most Memorable Movie Music". Yahoo Entertainment. June 23, 2015. Archived from the original on November 29, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  6. ^ "GLORY – James Horner". MOVIE MUSIC UK. February 12, 2020. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  7. ^ Southall, James (March 15, 2020). "Glory soundtrack review". Movie Wave. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  8. ^ "Filmtracks: Glory (James Horner)". www.filmtracks.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 1999. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  9. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Review: Glory [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  10. ^ "James Horner – Glory (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  11. ^ "Glory: Awards & Nominations". MSN Movies. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  12. ^ "Glory (1989) Awards & Nominations". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  13. ^ "Ten Great Film Scores That Should Have Been Oscar Nominated (But Weren't)". Flickering Myth. February 10, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  14. ^ "Glory". GoldenGlobes.org. Archived from the original on September 29, 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  15. ^ "Videos for 33rd Annual Grammy Awards". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.