FEATURING AN ORIGINAL SCORE FROM CARL DAVIS, CLASSIC TRACKS SPANNING FIVE DECADES AND A BRAND NEW COMPOSITION FROM PAUL McCARTNEY
RELEASED OCTOBER 28th
Decca Records is set to release a special CD and digital version of the soundtrack for the eagerly anticipated feature film Ethel & Ernest, an animated adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ classic graphic novel and tribute to his parents. Available to buy and download from 28th October, the CD features the original score, composed by internationally renowned composer and conductor Carl Davis, alongside tracks from the 1920s to the 1960s including music from Gracie Fields, Charles Penrose, Juliette Greco, The Shadows and Dave Berry and an original song written and performed by Paul McCartney.
Based on the 1998 book by the acclaimed British author and illustrator, the beautifully hand-drawn film spans 40 years and tells the true story of Raymond’s parents – Ethel and Ernest - two ordinary Londoners living through a period of extraordinary events and immense social change; from their first chance meeting in 1928, through the birth of their son Raymond in 1934, to their deaths, within months of each other, in 1971. A team of top British acting talent make up the voice cast including Jim Broadbent, Brenda Blethyn, Luke Treadaway, Virginia McKenna, Pam Ferris, June Brown, Roger Allam and Simon Day.
Ethel & Ernest is Carl Davis’s first score for an animated feature and is performed by the Chamber Orchestra of London with a piano solo by Huw Watkins. Original recordings of songs and tunes from the 1920s through to the 1970s accompany the score, including ‘Apple Blossom Time’ by Victor Silvester, ‘The Deepest Shelter in Town’ by Florence Desmond, ‘We’ll Meet Again’ by Jack Hylton, ‘Singing in the Bathtub’ by Gracie Fields, ‘Sous Le Ciel de Paris’ by Juliette Greco, ‘Foot Tapper’ by the Shadows and ‘Little Things’ by Dave Berry.
In addition, two tracks in the film come from a very famous musical family. Back in the 1920s Paul's father, James McCartney, wrote a tune called 'Walking in the Park with Eloise' when he was leader of the Jim Mac's Jazz band, a version of which was recorded by Paul as The Country Hams in 1974. This has been re-arranged specially for the film by Carl Davis and performed by the Chamber Orchestra of London. In addition Paul himself has written and performed a brand new song for the film -'In The Blink Of An Eye'.
“I am proud to be a member of the team that translated Raymond Briggs’ profound book into an elegant and matchless film,” says Carl Davis. “It is a superb achievement.”
“Ethel & Ernest spans 40 years of the 20th century, from 1928 to 1971. So when it came to weaving contemporary songs and tunes into the story we were able to choose some of the finest popular music ever recorded,” says director Roger Mainwood. “You will hear the big band sounds of the 1930s, popular romantic ballads from the war years, comic songs in the music hall tradition, right through to the pop culture of the 1960s. There are familiar classics in the mix but we also wanted audiences to be surprised by some less well known tracks.”
Produced by Lupus Films in association with Ethel & Ernest Productions, Melusine Productions and Cloth Cat Animation and supported by the BFI, BBC, Film Fund Luxembourg, Ffilm Cymru Wales and the Welsh Government, Ethel & Ernest is set for theatrical release on 28th October 2016. The BBC will broadcast the film on TV in the UK later in the year.
Track listing:
Carl Davis – Opening Titles
Carl Davis – London 1928
Jim Broadbent/Brenda Blethyn (Film Dialogue) – Ethel and Ernest introduce themselves
Carl Davis – Walking in the Park with Eloise
Carl Davis – We’re Going To Be Married
Bert Lown & His Orchestra & Elmer Feldkamp – Now You’re In My Arms
Al Bowlly with Lew Stone & His Band – What a Little Moonlight Can Do
Carl Davis – Homemaking Montage
Ambrose & His Orchestra/Denny Dennis – Blue Skies Are Around The Corner
Carl Davis – The Baby
Carl Davis – Housekeeping
Joe Daniels & His Hotshots – Tea for Two
Carl Davis – Paddington
Florence Desmond – The Deepest Shelter in Town
Ivor Kirchin & His Band – Underneath The Spreading Chestnut Tree
Jack Hylton – We’ll Meet Again
Carl Davis – Blitzkrieg
Carl Davis – Dorset - A Village
Gracie Fields – Singing in the Bathtub
Gracie Fields – A Perfect Day
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra – Stagecoach Theme
Carl Davis – Grammar School
Carl Davis – A Clever Boy
Charles Jolly Penrose – The Laughing Policeman
Tommy Reilly & Jack Warner – An Ordinary Copper
Charles Williams – The Young Ballerina
Juliette Greco – Sous Le Ciel de Paris
The Shadows – Foot Tapper
Dave Beryy – Little Things
Rupert’s People – Reflections of Charlie Brown
Carl Davis – Tea for Two Reprise
Carl Davis – She’s Gone
Carl Davis – Pear Tree
Paul McCartney – In The Blink Of An Eye