FILM SCORE REVIEW : Composer Patrick Doyle Makes Strong Debut With ‘Henry V’

Patrick Doyle, the composer for Kenneth Branagh’s new film version of “Henry V,” might have a difficult time filling the shoes of William Walton, who scored Laurence Olivier’s 1944 version. But a glance at the prodigious credits to the new “Henry” intimate otherwise.

Suggesting another grandiose Walton mix of traditional English hymns, masterful orchestrations, fanfares, ground basses and compound meters, this new version employs Simon Rattle, principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, along with the forces of the City of Birmingham Symphony. Rattle’s presence contributes greatly to a performance that is calculatingly dramatic, full-sounding and expertly managed.

A setting of Psalm 115, “Non Nobis Domine,” serves as the musical centerpiece. Sung after the victory at Agincourt and set up with a convenient line by the king--”Let there be sung ‘Non Nobis’ and ‘Te Deum’ “--a single soldier (played by Doyle himself) starts singing on the battlefield, predictably being joined by a chorus of soldiers accompanied by full orchestra. After a few verses follows the inevitable transposition up a half step.

Doyle uses his own music and accessible style, resisting historical references such as the popular English canon “Non Nobis Domine” (which Shakespeare probably intended) and the traditional Agincourt Hymn (which Walton used). Lawrence Ashmore’s orchestrations add little out of the ordinary Hollywood fare but suit Rattle’s baton with professional competence.

In all, the music draws less from Walton and Olivier and more from Branagh’s specific instructions to create a version accessible to the same audience that might enjoy a “ ‘Crocodile’ Dundee” movie.

As such, this debut film score by a former student of the Royal Scottish Academy has plenty of moments of powerful impact which help the film’s intended high energy level succeed. Yet, in about 90 minutes of music, there are also times when routine takes its toll--the title music sounds like one of the outtakes in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail’s” opening credits.