Expert: Robertson Frizero Barros - 8/18/2009

Question
What is the choir that provides dramatic movie backgrounds? The songs without words, just dramatic chords that make mediocre scenes seem epic? Is it a style of music or a certain division of choirs?

Thanks!


Answer
Dear Anonymous,

music is a wonderful way of leading people's emotions to the right atmosphere a director imagined for a certain scene.  You asked about choir music and it really is largely used in soundtracks to prompt different feelings - from anger to peace, from grieve to heroism.  In my humble opinion, this is not because it is choir music, but because of certain musical aspects involved.

If you want to intensify a battle scene, for example, you can use strong music, with bass and baritones singing short musical phrases in a melody full of strong rhythm.  Remember "Excalibur", which used Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" first choir, "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi".

Epic scenes need high voices and a "positive" tune, with grand orchestration.  Listen to the "Song of the Unification of Europe" in Kieslowski's "Trois Coloeurs: Bleu".

Grieve and sorrow can be better expressed by single female voices and soft, almost vanishing orchestration.  Check in "Gladiator" the scene when the main character returns to his villa and finds his wife and son dead.

In order to find the perfect soundtrack to your movie, you must listen to good music.  Check all the rich erudite music production, from Baroque to Contemporary experimentations, ou'll be surprised by excellent pieces of work, choir music or no, that may help you out in telling your story.