Scoring with the Human Voice

ScoreCues YouTube Playlist - Sole-Stirring Vocal Works From Soundtracks

One of my favorite score elements is the use of the human voice.  Voice is used in scores in many ways including as a chorus or choir (Exultate Justi from John Williams' Empire of the Sun), solo voice (Charlotte Church in James Horner's A Beautiful Mind), chanting (Assassination from Cliff Eidelman's Star Trek VI) or as more of a background texture, element, or accent (How Could You Leave Us from John Ottman's Superman Returns).  One of my first experiences with voice in a score came in 1989's Batman by Danny Elfman.  I still remember marveling at the mystery and power of the track "Descent into Mystery," a cue, which scores Batman's decent into his hidden lair with a somewhat worried Vicki Vale.  The cue begins softly, builds, and then ends with a climactic crash of Batman's theme, all along the chorus gives added mystery and excitement.  That same year I heard James Horner's Glory featuring the Boys Choir of Harlem.  Glory is a veritable powerhouse of choral excellence.  Cues like Charging Fort Wagner, Epitaph to War, and Closing Credits have the set the bar for many composers since.  As is often the case with composers today, Horner drew inspiration from classical works of long ago.  In the case of Charging Fort Wagner, from Carl Orff's O Fortuna from the cantata Carmina Burana.  Horner is just one composer of many (John Williams Duel of the Fates from The Phantom Menace) who has imitated Orff's work and with great success at that.

What follows below is a list of favorite score cues utilizing the human voice.  The playlist above includes many more and is updated regularly (view the playlist on YouTube view and listen to all the tracks).

1492 Conquest of Paradise\Light and Shadow 

Abyss\Bud on the Ledge

Alexander\Titans

Alice in Wonderland\Alice's Theme

American Journey - 2002 Winter Olympics\Call of the Champions

Amistad\Dry Your Tears, Afrika

Apollo 13\Dark Side of the Moon

Apollo 13\End Titles

August Rush\August's Rhapsody

Avatar\Becoming One of the People-Becoming one with Neytiri

Avatar\Climbing Up Iknimaya - The Path to Heaven

Avatar\Jake's First Flight

Avatar\Gathering All the Navi Clans for Battle

Band of Brothers\Main Titles

Band of Brothers\Requiem

Batman\Descent into Mystery

A Beautiful Mind\Creating Governing Dynamics

A Beautiful Mind\All Love Can Be

The Blue Planet\The Blue Planet

Brainstorm\Michael's Gift to Karen

Casper\Casper's Lullaby

Charlotte's Web\The Plan Begins

Children of Dune\Inama Nushif (Montage).

Christopher Columbus The Discovery\The Discovery (Gloria)

Christopher Columbus The Discovery\Come O Come, Emmanuel

Conan the Barbarian\Riders of Doom

Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight\The Prophet's Ascension

Crimson Tide\Roll Tide-Hymn- Father Strong to Save

Cutthroat Island\Main Title- Morgan's Ride

The Da Vinci Code\CheValiers de Sangreal

The Da Vinci Code\Rose of Arimathea

The Da Vinci Code\Poisoned Chalice

Dances with Wolves\Stands With a Fist Remembers

Deep Impact\Goodbye and Godspeed

Dinosaur\The Eggs Travels

Dinosaur\Across the Desert

Dune\Paul Meets Chani

Edward Scissorhands\Edward Meets the World- Storytime

Edward Scissorhands\Edward Meets the World- Beautiful New World-Home Sweet Home

Edward Scissorhands\Poor Edward- The Grand Finale

Elizabeth: The Golden Age\Divinity Theme

Elizabeth: The Golden Age\Horseback Address

Elizabeth: The Golden Age\Storm

Empire of the Sun\Cadillac of the Skies

Empire of the Sun\Exsultate Justi

Endurance\Mother is Sent Away

Enemy at the Gates\12 - Tania (End Credits)

Evan Almighty\The Flood

Fantastic Four\Main Titles

The Final Conflict\The Final Conflict (Main Title)

First Knight\Arthur's Farewell

The Four Feathers\A Coward No Longer

Gladiator\Now We Are Free

Glory\A Call to Arms

Glory\The Year of Jubilee

Glory\Burning the Town of Darien

Glory\Charging Fort Wagner

Glory\An Epitaph to War

Glory\Closing Credits

The Gospel of John\Follow Me

The Chronicles of Narnia\The Battle

Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire Soundtrack\The Quidditch World Cup

Hidalgo\Montage

Hook\You Are the Pan

Hook\Farewell Neverland

How to Train Your Dragon\This is Berk

How to Train Your Dragon\Forbidden Friendship

How to Train Your Dragon\Romantic Flight

Hunt for Red October\Hymn to Red October (Main Title)

Hunt for Red October\Nuclear Scam

Raiders of the Lost Ark\The Map Room- Dawn

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom\Approaching the Stones

The Island\ My Name Is Lincoln

Journey to The Center Of The Earth\The Center Of the Earth

Jurassic Park\Theme from Jurassic Park

King Kong\The Empire State Building _ Beauty Killed the Beast

K-19 The Widowmaker\Journey

Krull\Epilogue & End Credits

Lady in the Water\The Great Eatlon

The Lamb of God\In Paradise

The Land Before Time\The Great Migration

Legend - The Jerry Goldsmith Score\Reunited

The Lion In Winter\Main Title-The Lion In Winter

The Lion King\This Land

The Lion King\To Die For

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring\The Bridge of Khazad Dum

The Two Towers\Foundations of Stone

The Two Towers\Evenstar

The Two Towers\Farewell To Lorien

The Lord of the Rings_ Return of the King\The End of All Things

Medal of Honor: Frontline\Arnhem

Mighty Joe Young\Dedication and Windsong

The Mighty Soundtrack\My Noble Knight

The Mission\On Earth as It Is in Heaven

The Mission\River

The Mummy\The Sand Volcano

The Mummy Returns\Alan Silvestri\The Mummy Returns\Mummy Returns

The Nativity Story\A Star Shall Come Forth

The Nativity Story\In Rosa Vernat Lilium

Carmina Burana\O Fortuna

The Passion of the Christ\Bearing the Cross

The Passion of the Christ\Mary Goes to Jesus

The Passion of the Christ\Raising the Cross

The Passion of the Christ\Resurrection

Plunkett And Macleane\Hanging

Pope Joan\Anno Domini 887

Pope Joan\Silent Wedding

Pope Joan\Pilgrimage To Rome

Pope Joan\Liber Pontificalis

The Power of One\Mother Africa

Alexander Nevsky\Alexander Nevsky, Op. 78_ VII. Alexander’s Entry into Pskov

Rudy\Rudy (Main Title)

Sahara\All Aboard!

Saving Private Ryan\Hymn to the Fallen

The Scarlet Letter\Agnus Dei

Sneakers\Main Title

Spider-Man 2\Spiderman 2 Main Title

Star Trek\Nero Death Experience

Return of the Jedi\Final Duel-Into the Death Star

The Phantom Menace\Duel of the Fates

The Phantom Menace\Passage Through the Planet Core

Revenge of the Sith\Battle of the Heroes

Revenge of the Sith\Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious

Shadows of the Empire\Destruction of Xizor's Palace (excerpts)

Superman Returns\How Could You Leave Us

Time Machine \Eloi

Time Machine \Stone Language

Time Machine \Godspeed

Titanic\Southampton

Titanic\Hymn to the Sea

Transformers\Autobots

Transformers\Decepticons

Transformers\Arrival To Earth

Valkyrie\They'll Remember You

The Water Horse Legend of the Deep\Swimming

We Were Soldiers\Flying High-Sgt. MacKenzie

We Were Soldiers\End Credits-Sgt. MacKenzie-The Mansions Of The Lord

Willow\Elora Danan